70 
HOWLI>'Q OF THE APES. 
one premeditated. The Indians have a dislike and a pre- 
dilection for certain races of monkeys ; they love the viu- 
ditas, the titis, and generally ail the little sagoins ; while 
the araguatos, on account of their mournful aspect, and 
their uniform howling, are at once detested and abused. 
In reflecting on the causes that may facilitate the pro- 
pagation of sound in the air during the night, I thought 
it important to determine with precision the distance at 
which, especially in damp and stormy weather, the howling 
of a band of araguatos is heard. I believe 1 obtained proof 
of its being distinguished at eight hundred toises distance. 
The monkeys which arc furnished with four hands cannot 
make excursions in the Llanos; and it is easy, amidst vast 
plains covered with grass, to recognize a solitary group of 
trees, whence the noise proceeds, and which is inhabited by 
howling monkeys, htow, by approaching or withdrawing 
from this group of trees, the maximum of the distance may 
be measured, at which the howling is heard. These dis- 
tances appeared to me sometimes oue-third greater during 
the night, especially when the weather was cloudy, very hot, 
and humid. 
The Indians pretend that when the araguatos fill the 
forests with their howling, there is always one that chaunts 
as leader of the chorus. The observation is pretty accurate. 
During a long interval one solitary and strong voice is gene- 
rally distinguished, till its place is talceu by another voice of 
a different pitch. We may observe from time to time the 
same instinct of imitation among frogs, and almost ail 
animals which live together and exert their voices in union. 
The Missionaries further assert, that, when a female among 
the araguatos is on the point of bringing forth, the choir 
suspends its howlings till the moment of the birth of the 
young. I could not myself judge of the accuracy of this 
assertion ; but I do not believe it to be entirely unfounded. 
I have observed that, when an extraordinary incident, the 
moans for instance of a wounded araguato, fixed the atten- 
tion of the band, the howlings were for some minutes 
suspended. Our guides assured us gravely, that, “ to cure 
an asthma, it is sufficient to drink out of the bony drum of 
the hyoidal bone of the araguato.” This animal having so 
extraordinary a volume of voice, it is supposed that its 
