MARMOSETS 



449 



and wrinkled, the forehead is low, with the eye-brows 

 projecting, and, in short, the features altogether resemble 

 in a striking manner those of an old negro. In the forests, 

 the Barrigudo is not a very active animal ; it lives ex- 

 clusively on fruits, and is much persecuted by the Indians, 

 on account of the excellence of its flesh as food. From 

 information given me by a collector of birds and mammals, 

 whom I employed, and who resided a long time amongst 

 the Tucuna Indians, near Tabatinga, I calculated that 

 one horde of this tribe, 200 in number, destroyed 1200 of 

 these monkeys annually for food. The species is very 

 numerous in the forests of the higher lands, but, owing 

 to long persecution, it is now seldom seen in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the larger villages. It is not found at all 

 on the Lower Amazons. Its manners in captivity are 

 grave, and its temper mild and confiding, like that of the 

 Coaitas. Owing to these traits, the Barrigudo is much 

 sought after for pets ; but it is not hardy like the Coaitas, 

 and seldom survives a passage down the river to Para. 



Marmosets. — It now only remains to notice the Mar- 

 mosets, which form the second family of American 

 monkeys. Our old friend Midas ursulus, of Para and 

 the Lower Amazons, is not found on the Upper river, 

 but in its stead a closely-allied species presents itself, 

 which appears to be the Midas rufoniger of Gervais, 

 whose mouth is bordered with longish white hairs. The 

 habits of this species are the same as those of the M. 

 ursulus, indeed it seems probable that it is a form or 

 race of the same stock, modified to suit the altered local 

 conditions under which it lives. One day, whilst walk- 

 ing along a forest pathway, I saw one of these lively 

 little fellows miss his grasp as he was passing from one 

 tree to another along with his troop. He fell head fore- 

 most, from a height of at least fifty feet, but managed 

 cleverly to alight on his legs in the pathway ; quickly 

 turning round he gave me a good stare for a few moments, 

 and then bounded off gaily to climb another tree. At 

 Tunantins, I shot a pair of a very handsome species of 

 Marmoset, the M. rufiventer, I believe, of zoologists. Its 

 coat was very glossy and smooth ; the back deep brown, 

 and the underside of the body of rich black and reddish 

 hues. A third species (found at Tabatinga, 200 miles 

 further west) is of a deep black colour, with the exception 

 of a patch of white hair around its mouth. The little 



2 F 



