182 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
THE WEEPER CAPUCHIN, OR CAL* 
This is known by the black top to its head, and it is small, and brown in colour elsewhere, the 
face and throat being greyish-yellow. 
Brehm gives the following notes about their habits : — “ This Monkey is common from Bahia to 
Columbia, and it chooses wooded country where there is no underwood. The greater part of its life is 
spent on trees, and it only leaves them to drink, or to visit a field of maize. In the day he wanders 
from tree to tree, looking for food ; in the night sleeps on the branches of some tree. Generally one 
sees him in small families of six or ten, of whom the most part are females. It is difficult to observe 
the animal, because he is so timid and shy. Bengger asserts that he is seldom to be seen. Once he 
noticed a pleasant whistling noise, and he saw an old male looking timidly around on the highest tree- 
tops, and then approach. About twelve or thirteen others followed him, of both sexes, and three 
females carried a little one partly on the back, partly under one arm. Suddenly one of these animals saw 
an orange-tree with ripe fruit, gave a cry, and sprang up the tree. In a few seconds the whole company 
were assembled there, and were engaged in picking and eating the ripe fruit. Some began imme- 
diately to eat, others sprang, loaded with a couple of fruit, to a neighbouring tree, whose stronger 
branches provided them with a table. They sat themselves down on a branch, encircled it with their 
tails, then took an orange between them hind legs, and tried with these to loosen the peel at the top 
with their fingers. If they did not succeed immediately, they flung the fruit, grumbling and snarling 
several times against a tree, by which the rind was broken. Hot one tried to peel the orange with 
their teeth, probably because they were aware of its bitter taste. As soon, however, as a small opening 
was made, they quickly pulled a piece off, eagerly licked up the juice, not only what was on the fruit, 
but also what was on their hands and arms, and then ate the pulp. The tree was soon bare, and then 
the stronger ones tried to rob the weaker, both making the most peculiar grimaces, gnashed with their 
teeth, tore each other’s hairs, and pulled each other roughly about. Others carefully searched the dead 
branches, lifted up the dry bark, and ate the insects lying underneath. When they were satisfied, they 
laid themselves along a branch, in the same manner as the Howlers, to sleep. The young ones, how- 
ever, began to play, and thereby showed themselves to be very agile. They swung themselves by then 
tails, or climbed up them as if by a rope. The mothers had great trouble with their young, who wished 
for the luscious fruit. At first they gently pushed their young aside, but afterwards showed their 
impatience by grunting ; then they seized the disobedient child by the head, and threw it roughly on its 
back. As soon, however, as they were satisfied, they gently drew the young ones forward, and laid 
them at their breasts. The mother’s love shows itself by the great care with wliich every old one 
handles her young, through laying them on the breast, by watching them, by searching their fur, and 
by the attacks on others who come near. The motions of the young one were neither light nor 
graceful, but awkward and ungainly. Another time Bengger came upon a family who were about to 
make an attack upon a maize-field. They climbed softly down from a tree, looked carefully around, 
broke two or three heads of fruit off, and returned as quickly as possible to the wood, there to devour 
their booty. As Bengger showed himself the whole troop fled, with shrill cries, through the tree-tops. 
Every one, however, took at least a head of fruit away with him. Bengger now shot one of these, and 
saw a female fall with her young one through the branches. He thought he should be able to catch 
her soon, but, though dying, she caught herself by her tail, and kept him waiting for quite a quarter of 
an hour. The young one had not left its mother, but rather clung faster to her, though showing signs 
of fear. After she was dead, and it was taken away, the little thing called in plaintive tones to its 
mother, and crept near to her as soon as it was let loose. After some hours, however, the coldness of 
the body seemed to frighten the young one, and it willingly stayed in its captor’s breast j>oclcet. Our 
informant says that in the family of the Cai, the number of females exceeds the number of males. In 
January the female gives birth to a young one, and keeps it at her breast for the first week, but later 
on carries it on her back. The mother never leaves her young, not even when she is wounded. 
Bengger, however, observed that a female, whose arm had been broken by a bullet, tore her young one 
Cebus capuchiwus. 
