Chap. I.] MONKEYS. 5 



cently by Professor Schmarda, of the University of 

 Prague. From the united labours of these gentlemen 

 and others interested in the same pursuits, we may 

 hope at an early day to obtain such a knowledge of the 

 zoology of Ceylon as will to some extent compensate 

 for the long indifference of the government officers. 



I. Quadrumana. 1. Monkeys. — To a stranger in the 

 tropics, among the most attractive creatures in the 

 forests are the troops of monkeys that career in cease- 

 less chase among the loftiest trees. In Ceylon there 

 are five species, four of which belong to one group, the 

 Wanderoos, and the other is the little graceful grimacing 

 rilawa l 9 which is the universal pet and favourite of 

 both natives and Europeans. The Tamil conjurors teach 

 it to dance, and in their wanderings carry it from village 

 to village, clad in a grotesque dress, to exhibit its lively 

 performances. It does not object to smoke tobacco. 

 The Wanderoo is too grave and melancholy to be trained 

 to these drolleries. 



Knox, in his captivating account of the island, gives 

 an accurate description of both ; the Rilawas, with " no 

 beards, white faces, and long hair on the top of their 

 heads, which parteth and hangeth down like a man's, 

 and which do a deal of mischief to the corn, and are so 

 impudent that they will come into their gardens and eat 

 such fruit as grows there. And the Wanderoos, some 



1 Macacus pileatus, Shaw and radiating from the crown of the 



Desmarest. The " bonneted Ma- head. A spectacled monkey is 



caque " is common in the south and said to inhabit the low country 



west ; it is replaced on the neigh- near to Bintenne ; but I have never 



bouring coast of the Peninsula of seen one brought thence. A paper 



India by the Toque, M. radiatus, by Dr. Templeton, in the Mag. 



which closely resembles it in size, Nat. Hist. n. s. xiv. p. 361, contains 



habit, and form, and in the peculiar some interesting facts relative to 



appearance occasioned by the hairs the Kilawa of Ceylon. 



B 3 



