MONKEYS, BATS. 345 



Note. — In presenting these meteorological notes, and vouch- 

 ing for their accuracy, I regret that they are but scanty and 

 imperfect. My excuse must be inexperience of this work, lack of 

 necessary instruments, and pressure of other duties. 



Short Notes on Animals, Birds, and Reptiles. 

 Monkeys {Quadrumand). 



Primates, these are represented at the present day by a great 

 number of species, but few traces of their genera are found in the 

 cave deposits of Brazil. The most remarkable feature is the 

 number of species with prehensile tails, a character not existing 

 among any of the monkeys of the Old World.* All the South 

 American monkeys are embraced in the family CeMda. 



I had no opportunity of observing closely any but the mar- 

 mosets, which approach the lemurs. These {Jacchus) abound in 

 the forests near Brumado (Entre Rios de Minas), and exist even 

 in the thick v/oods round the Corcovado, near Rio de Janeiro. I 

 brought home two of ^e Jacchus peticillaius, or black-eared mar- 

 moset, which I bought at Bahia. They became very tame. One 

 of them died early in June, and the other June 24, 1885. There 

 were also on board the Valparaiso many of \h& Jacchus vulgaris, 

 which has white whiskers instead of black. The native name of 

 the marmoset is sagui. 



Bats (Cheiroptera). 



I collected no specimens of bats ; but on examining those at 

 the British Museum, I recognize a species of Phyllostoma (not 

 spectrum) and Desmodus rufus. The latter I came across fre- 

 quently, and was told that it attacked cattle. I have mentioned 

 my horses having been attacked by a vampire ; it may have been 

 the one I now refer to. 



Captain Burton f says, when staying at Barroso, near Sao Joao 

 del Rey, "Rising before dawn, ... we found from the blood- 

 clotted hides of our animals that they had suffered severely from 

 the vampire {Vespertilio naso, or Phyllostomus spectrum) . . , 



* Liais, " Climats, Faune," etc., pp. 554, 555. 

 t " Highlands of Brazil," vol, i. pp. 107, 108. 



