THE CAPUCHIN MONKEYS. 
1S1 
creature, but is not playful like most of the American Monkeys, the restlessness of its disposition 
seeming to arise from great nervous irritability and discontent. Its actions are those of a wayward 
child. It does not seem to be happy even when it has enough of its favourite food — bananas ; but 
will leave its own meal to snatch the morsels out of the hands of its companions. It differs in these 
morbid traits from its nearest kindred, for another Cebus found in the same parts of the forest — the 
Prego Monkey — is a much quieter and better-tempered animal. It is full of tricks, but they are 
generally of a playful character. 
The Caiarara keeps the house in a perpetual uproar where it is kept. When alarmed or 
hungry, or excited by envy, it screams piteously, and it is always making some noise or other, 
often screwing up its mouth, and uttering a succession of loud notes resembling a whistle. Mr. 
Bates’s little pet used to run after him, supporting himself for some distance on his hind legs, without, 
however, having been taught to do so. The end of this friendship came at last, and in a tragical 
manner. “ He offended me greatly one day by killing, in one of his jealous fits, another and much 
choicer pet — the Nocturnal Owl-like 
Monkey (. Nyctipitheeus trivirgatus). 
Some one had given this a fruit 
which the other coveted, so the two 
got to quarreling. The Nycti- 
pitliecus fought only with its paws, 
clawing out, and hissing like a Cat. 
The other soon obtained the mastery, 
and before I could interfere, finished 
its rival by cracking its skull with 
his teeth. I then got rid of him.” 
Broderip writes about one as 
follows : — “ Humboldt saw at May- 
pures one of these Monkeys riding 
a Pig. He used to bide his time, 
and every morning caught one, 
which he compelled to perform the 
part of the horse. Seated on pig- 
back did he majestically ride about 
the whole day, clinging to his bristly steed as firmly as ever the Old Man of the Sea clung to Sinbad, 
not even giving poor piggy a respite at meal times, but continually bestriding him all the time he 
was feeding in the savannah that surrounded the Indian huts. A missionary had another of these 
riders, but the missionary’s Monkey laid a strong hold on a comfortable Cat which had been brought 
up with him, carried him well, and bore all his tricks with patience and good humour.” 
The skull ls long, and uniformly round in these animals, and the face is not very prominent. 
There are two nasal bones, and the inter-maxillary bone is distinct ; moreover, the chin is rounded and 
receding. With all its powers of teasing, fun, and its intelligence, one would anticipate that the brain 
would be far superior in its form to the Spicier and other Monkeys with prehensile tails ; and this is the 
case, for the convolutions on the outside are almost equal in their number and relative size to those 
of the Monkeys of the Old World. 
There are eighteen kinds of these Capuchins, and the attempt has been made to classify them by 
the direction of the hair of the head and its colour, but in doing this sufficient allowance has not 
been made for the influence of sex, age, and the bodily vigour, so that great confusion still exists 
in their classification. 
THE BROWN CAPUCHIN. (From the Zoological Gardens.) 
THE BROWN CAPUCHIN. * 
In this species the hairs of the head are brushed back, but it appears that with age some hairs 
are erected at the sides of the head above the ears into two horns, so as to give it the name of the 
Horned Monkey. 
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Cebus fatuellus. 
