i66 
APES AND MONKEYS. 
Writing of them at Ega, lie says: “ I found two species, closely related to each 
other, but nevertheless quite distinct, as both inhabit the same forests, namely, 
those of the higher and drier lands, without mingling with each other or inter¬ 
crossing. They sleep all day long in hollow trees, and come forth to prey on 
insects, and eat fruits only in the night. They are of small size, the body being 
about a foot long and the tail 14 inches, and are thickly clothed with soft grey 
and brown fur, similar to that of a rabbit. Their physiognomy reminds one of 
the owl or tiger-cat. The face is round and encircled by a ruff of whitish hair; 
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 white stripes.” 
The Three-Banded Douroucoli (Nyctipithecus trivirgatus). 
This species was first discovered by Humboldt on the banks of the River 
Cassiquiare, near the headwaters of the Rio Negro, in Venezuela; but it is likewise 
found in Guiana and Brazil. Its chief distinctive character is to be found in the 
circumstance that the three bands on the forehead continue distinct from one 
another on to the crown of the head. The fur is relatively short, and the tail 
cylindrical. The general colour is a greyish-brown, with a darker stripe down the 
middle of the back; the chest and under-parts being ferruginous, and the tail 
blackish-brown, except on the under part of its root, where it becomes yellowish. 
The account given of this animal by Humboldt accords very closely with 
the descriptions of later naturalists. Humboldt refers to the difficulty of taming 
it, and states that one kept in his possession for nearly five months could 
not be reconciled to captivity. It slept during the day, concealing itself in the 
darkest corner it could find, and when awake could but seldom be induced to play 
with its master. Its agility in capturing flies was very remarkable. If irritated 
it hissed, and struck out with its paws after the manner of a cat, at the same time 
inflating its throat. Its voice, for so small an animal, was very powerful, and 
Humboldt compares its cry on some occasions to the roar of the jaguar, while at 
others it is described as a kind of mewing, accompanied by a deep guttural sound. 
Mr. Bates describes how he kept an individual of this species for many 
months when on the Amazon. He observes that “ these monkeys, although 
sleeping by day, are aroused by the least noise; so that when a person passes by a 
tree in which a number of them are concealed, he is startled by the apparition of a 
number of little striped faces crowding a hole in the trunk. It was in this way 
that my companion discovered the colony from which the one given to me was 
taken. I was obliged to keep my pet chained up; it never became thoroughly 
familiar.” After referring to an individual of the next species, Mr. Bates states 
that his douroucoli “ was kept in a box, in which was placed a broad-mouthed glass 
jar; into this it would dive head-foremost when anyone entered the room, turning 
round inside, and thrusting forth its inquisitive face an instant afterwards to stare 
at the intruder. It was very active at night, venting at frequent intervals a hoarse 
cry, like the suppressed barking of a dog, and scampering about the room, to the 
