IN CAPTIVITY IN LOWER BENGAL. 21 



(25) THE PATAS MONKEY. 

 (CEKCOPITHECUS PATAS— {Schreb.) ) 



Description. — Head and body about^ 1 foot 5 inches, tail almost 

 twice that length. General colour brownish red ; under parts whitish ; 

 there is a black superciliary stripe, whence a black line runs down to the 

 nose. 



Hab. — Senegal, Ethiopia. 



(26) THE MONA MONKEY. 

 (CERCOPITHECTTS MONA— (Schreb.) ) 



Description. — Colour of the hair brilliant golden green ; back and 

 sides brown or chestnut brown ; outer parts of the limbs and tail slaty 

 grey; the neck, chest and abdomen white; a black band across the 

 forehead. Ears and hands flesh coloured. 



Hab. — West Africa. 



Length of life in captiyity. 

 A Diana monkey has lived the longest, i.e., from 1876. Although 

 in excellent health otherwise, it has been subject to a paralytic affection 

 of both the hind limbs since 1880, and to which curvature of the spine 

 has latterly supervened. A Malbrouck monkey and a Hocheur monkey 

 have each lived as many as seven years. A Talapoin monkey has 

 been living for the last eight years and is in excellent health. A Pluto 

 monkey has been kept for six years. The moustache monkey lived for 

 eighteen months only. The lesser white-nosed and the Mona monkeys, 

 obtained respectively in 1888 and 1889, are still alive and well. 



Treatment in health. 



Sousing. — As all these animals are natives of a warm dry climate, 

 they require to be guarded against the risks of the damp and mois- 

 ture of Lower Bengal. Ample space should also be provided for 

 their gambols and restless activity. In the Grubbay House (described 

 on page 6) nearly all the conditions necessary for their health and 

 comfort are fulfilled. 



Food. — All these monkeys thrive on the same food as is given to 

 the hoolocks, hanumans and other monkeys mentioned before. They 

 appear to have no taste for leaves, but are extremely fond of fruits, 

 especially dates and oranges. During the winter, when these fruits are 

 plentiful, they form a considerable proportion of the diet of these 

 monkeys. Boiled rice does not appear to agree with some of them. 



Breeding. — The Malbrouck has bred in the garden, the period of 

 gestation being close upon seven months. Before and on the birth of 

 the young monkey attempts were made to separate the male ; these failed, 

 but it proved to be a kind parent. For nearly a month and a half the 

 infant monkey clung to the breast of the mother, to whom an extra 

 allowance of four ounces of milk and two ounces of bread was given 

 for nearly three months from the date of the birth. 



