444 



ANIMALS OF EGA 



Japura, I could not precisely ascertain ; Senhor Chrysos- 

 tomo, however, assured, me that at i8o miles from the 

 mouth of this river, neither white nor red Uakari is found, 

 but that a third, black-faced and gray-haired species, 

 takes their place. I saw two adult individuals of Brach- 

 yurus rubicundus at Ega, and a young one at Fonteboa ; 

 but was unable to obtain specimens myself, as the forests 

 were inundated at the time I visited their locality. I 

 was surprised to find the hair of the young animal much 

 paler in colour than that of the adults, it being of a 

 sandy and not of a brownish red hue, and consequently 

 did not differ very much from that of the white species ; 

 the two forms, therefore, are less distinct from each 

 other in their young than in their adult states. The 

 fact of the range of these singular monkeys being so 

 curiously limited as here described, cannot be said to be 

 established until the country lying between the northern 

 shore of the Solimoens and New Granada be well ex- 

 plored, but there can be no doubt of the separation of 

 the two forms in the Delta lands of the Japura, and this 

 is a most instructive fact in the geographical distribution 

 of animals. 



The Parauacu Monkey. — Another Ega monkey, nearly 

 related to the Uakaris, is the Parauacu (Pithecia hirsuta), 

 a timid inoffensive creature, with a long bear-like coat 

 of harsh speckled-gray hair. The long fur hangs over 

 the head, half concealing the pleasing, diminutive face, 

 and clothes also the tail to the tip, which member is well 

 developed, being eighteen inches in length, or longer than 

 the body. The Parauacu is found on the ' terra firma ' 

 lands of the north shore of the Solimoens from Tunantins 

 to Peru. It exists also on the south side of the river, 

 namely on the banks of the Teffe, but there under a 

 changed form, which differs from its type in colours about 

 as much as the red differs from the white Uakari. This 

 form has been described by Dr. Gray as a distinct species, 

 under the name of Pithecia albicans. The Parauacu is 

 also a very delicate animal, rarely living many weeks in 

 captivity ; but anyone who succeeds in keeping it alive 

 for a month or two, gains by it a most affectionate pet. 

 One of the specimens of Pithecia albicans now in the 

 British Museum was. when living, the property of a young 

 Frenchman, a neighbour of mine at Ega. It became so 

 tame in the course of a few weeks that it followed him 



