CEBI MONKEYS 



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feet beneath ; all the rest following the example. They 

 grasp, on falling, with hands and tail, right themselves 

 in a moment, and then away they go along branch and 

 bough to the next tree. The Caiarara owes its name in 

 the Tupi language, macaw or large-headed (Acain, head, 

 and Arara, macaw), to the disproportionate size of the 

 head compared with the rest of the body. It is very 

 frequently kept as a pet in houses of natives. I kept one 

 myself for about a year, which accompanied me in my 

 voyages and became very familiar, coming to me always 

 on wet nights to share my blanket. It is a most restless 

 creature, but is not playful like most of the American 

 monkeys ; the restlessness of its disposition seeming to 

 arise from great nervous irritability and discontent. The 

 anxious, painful, and changeable expression of its coun- 

 tenance, and the want of purpose in its movements, 

 betray this. Its actions are like those of a wayward 

 child ; it does not seem happy even when it has plenty 

 of its favourite food, bananas ; but will leave its own meal 

 to snatch the morsels out of the hands of its companions. 

 It differs in these mental traits from its nearest kindred, 

 for|another common Cebus, found in the same parts of 

 the forest, the Prego monkey (Cebus cirrhifer ?), is a much 

 quieter and better-tempered animal ; it is full of tricks, 

 but these are generally of a playful character. 



The Caiarara keeps the house in a perpetual uproar 

 where it is kept : when alarmed, or hungry, or excited 

 by envy, it screams piteously ; it is always, however, 

 making some noise or other, often screwing up its mouth 

 and uttering a succession of loud notes resembling a 

 whistle. My little pet, when loose, used to run after me, 

 supporting itself for some distance on its hind legs, without, 

 however, having been taught to do it. He offended me 

 greatly one day by killing, in one of his jealous fits, 

 another and much choicer pet — the nocturnal, owl-faced 

 monkey (Nyctipithecus trivirgatus). Some one had given 

 this a fruit, which the other coveted, so the two got to 

 quarrelling. The Nyctipithecus fought only with its 

 paws, clawing out and hissing like a cat ; the other soon 

 obtained the mastery, and before I could interfere, 

 finished his rival by cracking its skull with his teeth. 

 Upon this I got rid of him. 



After a ramble of four or five hours, during which 

 Jose shot a beautiful green and black-striped lizard of 



