182 Quadrupeds. 
THE CAPUCHIN AND SPIDER MONKEYS, 
(Cebus Capvcinus and Ateles paniscus,) 
Are both natives of South America ; they live in large 
troops, feeding on roots, fruits, and insects, and are much 
more gentle than those of the old world. Of the Capuchin 
there are many species, differing from each other in 
colour only ; they are very lively ? active, and amusing, 
and about a foot long. The Spider Monkey, like the 
Capuchin, has a long prehensile tail, which it uses like 
a fifth hand. Nature seems by this addition to have 
more than recompensed them for the want of a thumb, 
for by it, when they are unable to leap from one tree to 
another, on account of the distance, they form a kind of 
chain, with their young upon their backs, hanging down 
by each other's tails. One of them holds the branch 
above, and the rest swing to and fro like a pendulum, 
until the undermost is enabled to catch hold ; the first 
then lets go his hold, and thus comes undermost in his 
turn ; in this way they can travel a great distance with- 
out ever touching the ground. Curious illustrations of 
this are daily seen at the Zoological Gardens, where 
there are several of these Monkeys. 
