﻿CEBUS 
  65 
  

  

  each 
  side. 
  The 
  orbits 
  are 
  large 
  and 
  close 
  together, 
  the 
  nasals 
  being 
  

   quite 
  narrow 
  ; 
  the 
  f 
  rontals 
  contain 
  air 
  cavities, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  external 
  

   meatus 
  to 
  the 
  ear. 
  The 
  incisors 
  incline 
  slightly 
  forward, 
  and 
  are 
  

   shorter 
  than 
  the 
  canines; 
  the 
  molars 
  have 
  four 
  cusps, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  

   crowns 
  there 
  are 
  two 
  transverse 
  ridges 
  and 
  one 
  oblique, 
  the 
  last 
  going 
  

   from 
  the 
  front 
  inner 
  cusp 
  to 
  the 
  hind 
  outer 
  cusp. 
  In 
  the 
  often 
  great 
  

   variation 
  in 
  the 
  color 
  of 
  their 
  fur, 
  witnessed 
  among 
  the 
  members 
  of 
  

   the 
  various 
  genera 
  of 
  the 
  Primates, 
  there 
  is 
  probably 
  no 
  genus 
  whose 
  

   species 
  exhibit 
  a 
  more 
  extreme 
  diversity 
  of 
  hues 
  than 
  do 
  those 
  belong- 
  

   ing 
  to 
  Cebus, 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  it 
  would 
  appear 
  that 
  each 
  individual 
  

   possessed 
  the 
  power 
  of 
  selecting 
  the 
  color 
  of 
  its 
  own 
  dress, 
  and 
  the 
  

   taste 
  for 
  diversity 
  of 
  hues 
  has 
  been 
  so 
  wide, 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  easy 
  some- 
  

   times 
  to 
  find 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  species 
  alike. 
  This 
  instability 
  of 
  

   color 
  has 
  been 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  greatest, 
  if 
  not 
  indeed, 
  the 
  greatest 
  obstacle 
  

   to 
  all 
  investigators 
  in 
  the 
  determination 
  of 
  the 
  species, 
  for 
  with 
  the 
  

   majority 
  of 
  the 
  earlier 
  Authors, 
  color 
  was 
  the 
  chief 
  character 
  for 
  a 
  

   distinct 
  specific 
  rank, 
  cranial 
  differences 
  having 
  been 
  little 
  regarded, 
  

   and 
  consequently 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  species 
  was 
  largely 
  increased. 
  The 
  

   fact 
  that 
  great 
  variability 
  in 
  color 
  among 
  individuals 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  

   species, 
  often 
  from 
  the 
  same 
  locality, 
  was 
  not 
  known 
  ; 
  or 
  perplexed 
  at 
  

   the 
  great 
  diversity 
  of 
  hues 
  exhibited 
  by 
  his 
  examples, 
  and 
  unable 
  to 
  

   explain 
  the 
  problem, 
  an 
  Author 
  would, 
  happily, 
  sometimes, 
  place 
  all 
  

   his 
  specimens 
  in 
  one 
  species, 
  geographical 
  distribution 
  receiving 
  little 
  

   consideration. 
  Unfortunately 
  the 
  latter 
  method 
  was 
  not 
  often 
  adopted, 
  

   and 
  multiplication 
  of 
  species 
  has 
  been 
  with 
  many 
  writers 
  more 
  the 
  

   rule 
  than 
  the 
  exception, 
  and 
  the 
  synonymy 
  consequently 
  greatly 
  

   increased 
  thereby. 
  Another 
  difficulty 
  with 
  the 
  Cebi 
  has 
  been, 
  and 
  is 
  

   still 
  to-day, 
  that 
  Mammalogists 
  have 
  been 
  obliged 
  to 
  content 
  them- 
  

   selves 
  with 
  the 
  descriptions 
  given 
  by 
  Authors, 
  ( 
  few 
  types 
  being 
  usually 
  

   accessible), 
  often 
  inadequate, 
  brief 
  and 
  insufficient, 
  and 
  many 
  have 
  

   been 
  misled 
  by 
  these, 
  and 
  wrong 
  conclusions 
  reached. 
  Then 
  again 
  

   types 
  have 
  disappeared, 
  and 
  the 
  brief 
  description 
  originally 
  given 
  was 
  

   totally 
  insufficient 
  for 
  any 
  one 
  to 
  decide 
  what 
  the 
  species 
  really 
  was, 
  

   or, 
  (as 
  the 
  Author 
  of 
  this 
  work 
  has 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  case 
  in 
  too 
  many 
  

   instances), 
  neglect 
  for 
  their 
  proper 
  preservation, 
  and 
  the 
  lapse 
  of 
  

   time, 
  have 
  left 
  the 
  types 
  so 
  dilapidated 
  and 
  faded, 
  that 
  they 
  no 
  longer 
  

   agreed 
  with 
  the 
  original 
  description, 
  nor 
  gave 
  even 
  a 
  tangible 
  clue 
  to 
  

   their 
  appearance 
  in 
  life. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  wondered 
  at, 
  therefore, 
  that 
  so 
  much 
  diversity 
  of 
  

   opinion 
  has 
  existed 
  and 
  still 
  does 
  exist, 
  among 
  writers, 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  number 
  

   of 
  species 
  there 
  really 
  is 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  day, 
  or 
  that 
  the 
  synonymy 
  

  

  