Chap. I.] 



MONKEYS. 



7 



to itself a different district of the wooded country, and 

 Seldom encroaches on the domain of its neighbours. 



1. Of the four species found in Ceylon, the most 

 numerous in the island, and the one best known in 

 Europe, is the Wanderoo of the low country, the P. 

 cephalopterus of Zimmerman. 1 Although common in 

 the southern and western provinces, it is never found 

 at a higher elevation than 1300 feet. It is an active 

 and intelligent creature, little larger than the common 

 bonneted Macaque, and far from being so mischievous 

 as others of the monkeys in the island. In captivity it 

 is remarkable for the gravity of its demeanour and for 

 an air of melancholy in its expression and movements 

 which are completely in character with its snowy beard 

 and venerable aspect. In disposition it is gentle and 

 confiding, sensible in the highest degree of kindness, 

 and eager for endearing attention, uttering a low plain- 

 tive cry when its sympathies are excited. It is particu- 

 larly cleanly in its habits when domesticated, and spends 

 much of its time in trimming its fur, and carefully 

 divesting its hair of particles of dust. 



Those which I kept at my house near Colombo were 

 chiefly fed upon plantains and bananas, but for no- 

 thing did they evince a greater partiality than the 

 rose-coloured flowers of the red hibiscus (H. rosa- 



in the island except as an intro- was believed to truly represent the 



duced species in the custody of the wanderoo of Knox. The later dis- 



Arab horse-dealers, who visit the covery, however, of the P. ursinus 



port of Colombo at stated periods, by Dr. Kelaart, in the mountains 



Mr. Waterhouse, at the meeting amongst which we are assured that 



(Proc. ZooL Soc. p. 1: 1844) at Knox spent so many years of cap- 



which this communication was tivity, reopens the question, but 



read, recognised the identity of the at the same time appears to me 



subject of Dr. Templeton's descrip- clearly to demonstrate that in this 



tion with that already laid before latter we have in reality the animal 



them by Mr. Bennett ; and from to which his narrative refers, 



this period the species in question 1 Leucoprymnus Nestor, Bennett. 



B 4 



