THE MONKEY FAMILY. 



91 



quite at your ease, when you are seen suspended 

 by your arms from the branch ? " — f • Perfectly so, 

 my dear sir, all my limbs have been formed by the 

 hand of our Creator, for exercise amongst the 

 branches of the trees. Only examine me minutely, 

 and you will perceive, that, my very body itself 

 is wholly adapted to a life in the trees ; for it is 

 remarkably brawny in the fore parts, and slender 

 in the hinder ones. This gives me a wonderful 

 power of safe transition through the trees, be they 

 ever so high. I am absolutely and entirely a 

 native of the arboreal regions. Pray do examine 

 my limbs. The fore ones are hands complete 

 like your own, saving that the thumb is somewhat 

 shorter. Although, in appearance slender, they 

 are so tendinous and strong, that when I have once 

 applied them to a branch, I am in the most perfect 

 security. Now, my hinder limbs, as, no doubt, 

 you will have observed already, are of a construc- 

 tion the most singular, and at the same time, the 

 most useful that can possibly be imagined. They 

 are half hand and half foot conjoined. Thus, 

 their fingers assist those of the fore -hands in 

 climbing, whilst the heels tend to keep me per- 

 fectly steady on the branch, wherever I rove. 



" With such a formation, say what have we to do 

 on the ground ? The tree is our undoubted 



