THE MONKEY FAMILY. 



87 



of the habits and the nature of monkeys, there is 

 no more chance of finding a monkey in the hollow 

 of a tree, than there is of surprising me myself, on 

 a Sunday morning in a church of the creed by 

 law established in these realms : a church, which 

 notwithstanding its abundant supply of loaf and 

 fish, I cannot pronounce to be, in my eyes, any- 

 thing better than a " statio malefida an unsafe 

 anchorage. 



Monkeys are by far the most expert climbers in 

 the known world. By the extraordinary formation 

 of all their four limbs, and by their peculiar 

 propensities,^ they are formed by nature, to be 

 heritors of the torrid regions, where summer, 

 solitude, and sustenance are ever to be found. 



I stop not here to notice extensive tracks, which 

 are usually called Savannas in the new continent. 

 Some of these are dry, and others wet : but, a 

 description of them, is not called for just now, as 

 they have not trees in contiguity, and thus, of 

 course, they are not frequented by the monkeys. 

 You may see many species of birds in these 

 Savannas, and herds of wild swine, whilst occa- 

 sionally a tapir will be observed passing from 

 swamp to swamp: — but no monkeys, either great 

 or small. Monkeys would be hard set to live here. 

 We must go and seek them in the lofty trees, 



