THE SPIDER-MONKEYS. 
173 
characterized by the presence or absence of this rudimentary appendage. 
Spix, carrying these views still farther, proposed the genus Bhaciiyteles, 
and the Baron Cuvier, adopting them in the Second Edition of the 
“ Riigne Animal," assigned two species to the genus Brachyteles, and re- 
tained five in the genus Ateles. Tlie excellent Memoir of M. Isidore 
Geoffroy (Mem. Mus. XVII. published in 1828; clearly demonstrated, 
however, that this arrangement should be regarded as ptirely artificial, 
violating as it docs tile most natural analogies. Three additional species 
have likewise been discovered since the Baron Cuvier published his last 
Edition, so that the genus Ateles would now contain ten species, were 
not three of them assigned to M. Isidore Geofi'roy’s new genus Eiuodes, 
which will doubtless be universally adopted. 
The term Ateles, from ctriKvn, imperfect, is, strictly speaking, inappli- 
cable, as one species has the thumb, although rudimentary. It is, how- 
ever, a well cliaracterized division, being in the New World analogous to 
the Semnopitlieci and Colobi of the Old. The Ateles have the same 
slowness, gravitVi and mildness j their head, likewise, is round j theirlimbs 
long and tliiii ; the abdomen voluminous, and the tail long. They are 
essentially destined to live on trees. When on the ground, their move- 
ments are excessively awkward ; they drag themselves along, rather than 
walk, and, instead of resting the fingers or the soles of the feet upon the 
ground, so as to be either digitigrade or plantigrade, they rest on tlie inner 
side of their fore-bands, and the outer margin of the hinder. These un- 
couth crawling gestures liavc led to their being called Spider- Monlcei/s ; 
but tliey atone for their awkwardness upon tlie ground by their agility 
when on trees. They run along the smallest branches witli the greatest 
activity and address, and leap from tree to tree, though separated by a 
considerable interval ; for, ns they live chiefly on fruit, they have no oc- 
casion even to come to the ground except when they require wmter. They 
assist each other in danger, and attack a stranger by throwing small 
branches at him, or even their own excrements. When attacked by 
hunters, and one of them has been wounded, the remainder fly to the tops 
of the trees and raise the most lamentable cries, while the injured animal, 
placing its hands on the wound, watches the flowing of the blood until it 
loses consciousness and dies. It then commonly remains suspended 
by the tail ; for this organ has the property of closing itself at the ex- 
tremity, though it remains extended throughout the rest of its length. 
These animals are easily tamed, while kindness and attention render 
them very affectionate. It has even been stated, that they learn to assist 
in different domestic offices; but this requires confirmation. 
1. ATELES PANISCUS._COAITA SPIDER-MONKEY. 
Syn. Le Coaita — Cuv. Reg. Anira. I. 101. 
Ateles Paniscds.— Geoff. Ann. Mus. VII. and XIX Desm. Mam. 
S 1 .MIA PANI.SCUS — Linn. Gmel. I. 36.— Hmnb. Obs. Zool. p. 353. 
Poua- Fingered Monkey Penn. Quadr. I. No. 133. 
Jeon. Coaita femcllc — Geoff, ct F. Cuv. Hist. Mam. 
Le Coaita. — Audeb. Sing. 
Buff. Hist, Nat. XV. pi. 1. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
The Hair entirely black. The Face naked and flesh-coloured. 
The Fore-hands tetradactylous, the thumb being wanting. 
Inhabits Guiana and Brazil. 
This animal is wholly covered with black hair, like the following 
species, but is absolutely without a visible thumb on the fore-hand ; 
face is flesh-coloured. 
Though long known as a distinct species, its history has .always been 
more or less confounded with that of other Monkeys. It certainly does atfirst 
®'8ht appear paradoxical, that .an animal apparently organized for rapid 
motion, with long and slender limbs, and a tail capable of acting like a 
mth hand, should move with slowness and constraint; yet, when upon 
"'0 ground, its arms and legs seem to move with pain to the animal, and 
‘0 require the influence of some urgent motive for action. When on a 
wee however, we arc assured by Pennant and others, that the activitv 
O' this animal is very great. It docs not appear to be destitute of inteili- 
Sence ; it is mild and affectionate to its keeper. At all times the tail is 
rmly rolled round any object within its reach, as if to protect the indi- 
mual from an .accidental fall. Audebert tells us, that he saw one speci- 
'"en raising straw and hay to its mouth with the t.ail, in nearly the same 
■fanner ns an Elephant uses its trunk. These animals arc said to he 
ound in numerous troops in tlie woods of Guiana and Brazil, suspended 
•■om the branches of trees. 
3110 entire body ol the Coaita Spider- Monkey is covered with black, 
est^t^' coarse hairs, rather scaoty beneath, and without the slight- 
a b hairs. The face, as well as the skin of the body, is of 
^ rownish flesh-coloured tint, and the hands are black. Its ears rcsem- 
and°'"^^' want the lobe; the abdomen is of very great capacity, 
of 'ho presence of voluminous intestines. The cry 
amnia is acute and plaintive. The mumtiiic of the female, placed 
beneath the arm-pits, are marked by a black nipple. The clitoris is en- 
ormously developed, being nearly two inches in length. 
2. ATELES PENTADACTYLUS.— FIVE-FINGERED SPIDER- 
MONKEY. 
Syn. Le Ciiajif.k— C uv. Reg. Anim. I. 100. 
Ateles pentadactylos.— G eoff Ann. Mus. VII. and XIX. 
SiJiiA Chamek — 1-1 umb. Obs. Zool. p. 35a 
Ateles sub-pentadactylos. — D esm. Mam. 
Icon. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
The Hair entirely black. The Face naked. 
The Fore- Hands with a rudimentary thumb. 
Inhabits Guiana, Brazil, and Peru. 
The Five-fingered Spider-Monkey dUfers from the preceding in 
having the thumb eliglitly app.arent; yet this consists only of a 
single phalanx, and wants the nail. The hair is wholly black. 
So great is the resemblance between this species and the Coaita in form 
and colour, that they were long regarded as identical. Their skulls are, 
however, very different. That of the Five-fingered Spider- Monkey is 
broader, shorter, flatter towards the suture of the parietal bones, and 
more expanded towards the temples. The lower jaw-bone is likewise 
proportionably larger ; the inferior margin is straight, while it is vaulted 
in the Coaita ; and the ascending branches are so extensive, that we 
might almost imagine that they served, as in the Howlers, to support a 
hyoid bone of unusual magnitude. The thumb differs greatly in tlie two 
sjiecies. In the Coaita Spider- Monkey, the bone of tlie metacarpus is, at 
most, only half the length of the adjoining bone, and the terminal phalanx 
is so small, that it forms but a fifth part of the length of the preceding ; 
these two bones are slender in proportion, so that they are lost in the 
common integuments, without permitting the slightest trace of them to 
appear externally. In the Five-fingered Spider- Monkey, the same bones 
are found, their chief difference consisting in their thickness, but the bone 
of the metacarpus is not quite so long. The first and only phalanx is still 
less so, being about a third of its length ; but it is much broader, espe- 
cially near the extremity. This phalanx, detacliing itself wholly from the 
second bone of the metacarpus, constitutes the thumb of the Chamek. 
It is very short, and wholly wants the second phalanx as well as the nail, 
wliich terminates the fingers of most other Monkeys. 
The hair, like that of the Coaita, is coarse, rough, dry, and of a deep 
black. 
3. ATELES ATER — BLACK-FACED SPIDER-MONKEY. 
Syn. Le CaYOU. — Cuv. Reg. Anim. 1. 101. 
Ateles ateu F. Cuv. 
Atele Coaita de Cayenne — Geoff. Ann. Mus. XIII Desm. Mam. 
Icon. Cayou — Geoff. & F. Cuy. Hist. Mam. 
SPECIFIC characters. 
The Hair and Face very black. 
The Fore-hands tetradactylous. 
Inhabits South America. 
This animal has its face black, like the remainder of its body. 
The hairs are long and silky, but rather dry and coarse, like those of 
the Coaita ; they are as long on the head and tail as on the remainder of 
the body, where they point in the usual direction, from the front back- 
wards ; while on the head their points are directed forwards. The skin 
is black throughout, the pupil of the eye brown, and the organs of gene- 
ration flesh-coloured. The ear is oval, and the antihelix remarkable for 
its large size. 
4. ATELES MARGINATUS.— STRIPE-FACED SPIDER- 
MONKEY. 
Syn. Le Coaita A face bordee. — Cuv. Reg. Anira. 1. 101. 
Atf-Les MARGINATUS — Geoff Ann. Mus. XIII. and XIX. 
SIMIA MARGINATA (Ciiuva) Iluinb. Obs. Zool. p. SSi and 340. 
Icon. Coaita A front bi.anc, femelle F. Cuv. ct Geoff. Hist. Mam. 
Ann. Mus. XIII. pi. 10. 
specific char.vcters. 
The Hair black, a margin of yellowish hairs round the face of the 
male ; whitisli in the female. 
The Face flesh-coloured. The Fore-hands tetradactylous. 
Inhabits Brazil. 
These Monkeys occur frequently on the banks of the Rio Sant- 
iago and Amazon. M. Humboldt was informed by the Indians, that 
they live in numerous hands apart from the Marimondas (Ateles Bris- 
soiiii). The male is rather ill-tempered, the female mild and intelligent. 
