THE LIVING WORLD. 
687 
powerful muscles to give them the necessary swing, and finally the endmost 
monkey will be able to seize a tree on the opposite bank. The bridge now 
being formed, the troop of unoccupied monkeys run along it, and when the last 
one is safely over, the monkey on the wrong side of the river relaxes his hold 
and the swing is started from the other end. 
The tail of the coaita is about two feet in length, or twice as long as the 
body. The face of this monkey is copper-colored, and its black hair grows to 
great length on the shoulders, thighs and legs. Like some of the monkeys 
already described, the coaita is always ready to assault the traveller or hunter 
with missiles and insulting remarks, using its best efforts to convey the idea that 
it is by nature in open hostility to man, or, at least, prefers his absence to his 
company. 
The Chameck (Ateles chameck ) is found in Brazil and, like other American 
monkeys, illustrates, by its differ¬ 
ence from the forms of the old 
world, that constant and singu¬ 
lar adaptation to environment 
which no theory of accident will 
account for. It has perfectly 
black, long, thick hair, which is 
inclined to kink. Its length is 
about a foot and three-quarters and 
its tail is fully two feet long. 
The last foot or less of the tail 
is hairless, and as the member 
possesses the greatest flexibility, 
and is controlled by numerous 
powerful muscles, it substantially 
renders the chameck and the other 
species' belonging to his family, 
five-handed. It will frequently 
suspend itself wholly by its tail, 
and then swing its body, which 
has a rat-like subtleness, to the 
-next branch or tree. Its nailless 
thumb, like the thumb of other 
monkeys, cannot be opposed to 
the fingers. In captivity, it is 
docile, amiable and playful, and is susceptible of a high degree of cultivation. 
Nor does it appear to be so capricious of temper as most monkeys, for, while 
delighting in any kind of sport, it does not become spitefully tricky even under 
abuse. When subjected to ill treatment it manifests great grief, repairing to 
some corner, where it spends a long while in dolorous exhibitions that will 
excite the pity of any warm-hearted person. Instances are on record where the 
chameck has actually grieved itself to death. Unlike most of the monkey 
species, the chameck does not possess the posterior callosities, but is provided 
with long hair on the hinder quarters instead. The nostrils, too, are peculiar, 
in that they open from the side, whereas in all other species the opening is 
from beneath. 
SPIDER COAITA. 
