1846.] 



MONKEYS, 



29 



dinner-time. After dinner we generally had another walk for 

 an hour or two ; and the rest of the evening was occupied in 

 preparing and drying our captures, and in conversation. 

 Sometimes we would start down the igaripe in the montaria, not 

 returning till late in the afternoon ; but it was in my early 

 expeditions into the forest that I had my curiosity most 

 gratified by the sight of many strange birds and other animals. 

 Toucans and parrots were abundant, and the splendid blue 

 and purple chatterers v/ere also sometimes met with. Humming- 

 birds would dart by us, and disappear in the depths ,of the 

 forest, and woodpeckers and creepers of various sizes and 

 colours were running up the trunks and along the branches. 

 The little red-headed and puff-throated manakins were also 

 seen, and heard making a loud clapping noise with their wings 

 which it seemed hardly possible for so small a bird to produce. 



But to me the greatest treat was making my first acquaintance 

 with the monkeys. One morning, when walking alone in the 

 forest, I heard a rustling of the leaves and branches, as if a 

 man were walking quickly among them, and expected every 

 minute to see some Indian hunter make his appearance, when 

 all at once the sounds appeared to be in the branches above, 

 and turning up my eyes there, I saw a large monkey looking 

 down at me, and seeming as much astonished as I was myself. 

 I should have liked to have had a good look at him, but he 

 thought it safer to retreat. The next day, being out with Mr. 

 Leavens, near the same place, we heard a similar sound, and it 

 was soon evident that a whole troop of monkeys were 

 approaching. We therefore hid ourselves under some trees, 

 and, with guns cocked, waited their coming. Presently we 

 caught a glimpse of them skipping about among the trees, 

 leaping from branch to branch, and passing from one tree to 

 another with the greatest ease. At last one approached too 

 near for its safety. Mr. Leavens fired, and it fell, the rest 

 making off with all possible speed. The poor little animal was 

 not quite dead, and its cries, its innocent-looking countenance, 

 and delicate little hands were quite childlike. Having often 

 heard how good monkey was, I took it home, and had i^ cut 

 up and fried for breakfast : there was about as much of h as a 

 fowl, and the meat something resembled rabbit, without any 

 very peculiar or unpleasant flavour. Another new dish was 

 the Cotia or Agouti, a little animal, something between a 



