46 WILD BEASTS OF THE WORLD 



accidental, and that the Indians, who do not admire the Howler's 

 looks, and likewise object to its dismal vocalisations, carry their dis- 

 like so far as to cast aspersions on its character, just as, one may- 

 remark, Europeans revile the donkey because its figure and voice do 

 not appeal to them in comparison with those of the horse. 



At the same time, it may be remarked that native accounts of the 

 habits of animals have a way of turning out to be correct, and it is 

 possible that the Howler, whose character is morose and stupid, has 

 really less affection for its young than monkeys generally. 



The voice of the Howler is extraordinarily powerful for the size 

 of the animal, and its roars are so modulated that one would think 

 that a number of animals were engaged, and that a terrible fight was 

 being carried through from start to finish. Nevertheless, it would 

 appear to be the case that the whole of the apparent concert can be 

 the result of the efforts of one animal, generally an adult male. The 

 howling is mostly to be heard before dawn and after sunset, and the 

 creatures are also especially noisy before rain, like so many other 

 animals. 



Whatever objections the Indians may have to the Howler in life, 

 they keenly appreciate its flesh as food, and it is one of the most 

 valued items on their game list. If killed, however, it does not come 

 to hand at once, but hangs on to the tree even in death, and not till 

 the muscles of the feet and tail relax does it drop from its perc^ aloft. 



As a pet the Howler is not in any estimation, being surly and 

 showing no particular intelligence ; neither does it usually live very 

 long in captivity. Specimens of it have, however, occasionally been 

 on view at our Zoological Gardens, as well as of the Brown Howler 

 {Mycetes fuscus), which is black when young, and of the Black Howler 

 {M. carayd). In the last species the adult males only are black, the 

 females and young being straw-coloured. This is the most southerly 

 in its range of the Howlers, being found as far south as Paraguay. 

 The most northern species is the Guatemalan Howler (M. villosus), which 

 is black at all ages in both sexes. This species is only found in small 

 bands of about half-a-dozen, and is one of the very few American 



