NIGHT-APES 



445 



about the streets like a dog. My friend was a tailor, 

 and the little pet used to spend the greater part of the 

 day seated on his shoulder, whilst he was at work on his 

 board. It showed, nevertheless, great dislike to strangers, 

 and was not on good terms with any other member of 

 my friend's household than himself. I saw no monkey 

 that showed so strong a personal attachment as this 

 gentle, timid, silent little creature. The eager and 

 passionate Cebi seem to take the lead of all the South 

 American monkeys in intelligence and docility, and the 

 Coaita has perhaps the most gentle and impressible dis- 

 position ; but the Parauacu, although a dull, cheerless 

 animal, excels all in this quality of capability of attach- 

 ment to individuals of our own species. It is not wanting, 

 however, in intelligence as well as moral goodness, prooiE 

 of which was furnished one day by an act of our little 

 pet. My neighbour had quitted his house in the morning 

 without taking Parauacu with him, and the little creature 

 having missed its friend, and concluded, as it seemed, 

 that he would be sure to come to me, both being in the 

 habit of paying me a daily visit together, came straight 

 to my dwelling, taking a short cut over gardens, trees, 

 and thickets, instead of going the roundabout way of 

 the street. It had never done this before, and we knew 

 the route it had taken only from a neighbour having 

 watched its movements. On arriving at my house and 

 not finding its master, it climbed to the top of my table, 

 and sat with an air of quiet resignation waiting for him. 

 Shortly afterwards my friend entered, and the gladdened 

 pet then jumped to its usual perch on his shoulder. 



Owl-faced Night Apes. — A third interesting genus of 

 monkeys, found near Ega, are the Nyctipitheci, or night 

 apes, called Ei-a by the Indians. Of these I found two 

 species, closely related to each other but nevertheless 

 quite distinct, as both inhabit the same forests, namely, 

 those of the higher and drier lands, without mingling 

 with each other or intercrossing. They sleep all day 

 long in hollow trees, and come forth to prey on insects 

 and eat fruits only in the night. They are of small 

 size, the body being about a foot long, and the tail four- 

 teen inches, and are thickly clothed with soft gray and 

 brown fur, similar in substance to that of the rabbit. 

 Their physiognomy reminds one of an owl, or tiger-cat : 

 the face is round and encircled by a ruff of whitish fur ; 



