316 
ANIMALS OF EGA. 
Chap. Y. 
and eat fruits only in the night. They are of small 
size, the body being abont a foot long, and the tail four- 
teen inches, and are thickly clothed with soft grey and 
brown fur, similar in substance to that of the rabbit. 
Their physiognomy reminds one of an owl, or tiger-cat : 
the face is round and encircled by a ruff of whitish fur ; 
the muzzle is not at all prominent; the mouth and chin 
are small ; the ears are very short, scarcely appearing 
above the hair of the head ; and the eyes are large and 
yellowish in colour, imparting the staring expression of 
nocturnal animals of prey. The forehead is whitish, and 
decorated with three black stripes, which in one of the 
species (Nyctipithecus trivirgatus) continue to the crown, 
and in the other (N. felinus) meet on the top of the 
forehead. N. trivirgatus was first described by Hum- 
boldt, who discovered it on the banks of the Cassiquiare, 
near the head waters of the Rio Negro. 
One cannot help being struck by this curious modifi- 
cation of the American type of monkeys, for the owl- 
faced night-apes have evidently sprung from the same 
stock as the rest of the Cebidse, as they do not differ 
much in all essential points from the Whaiapu-sais 
(Callithrix), and the Sai-miris (Chrysothrix). They have 
nails of the ordinary form to all their fingers, and semi- 
opposable thumbs ; but the molar teeth (contrary to 
what is usual in the Cebidse) are studded with sharp 
points, showing that their natural food is principally 
insects. 
I kept a pet animal of the N. trivirgatus for many 
months, a youiig one having been given to me by an 
Indian compadre, as a present from my newly-baptised 
