hand, while its grasp is sufficiently powerful to
support the weight of the body, as it swings from
bough to bough. Dampier indeed asserts that
when a troop wishes to cross a river, they select a
very high tree that overhangs the brink, and mounting to the top, they form a long chain by each holding his predecessor’s tail; the last securing a good
hold of the tree, while he swings the living string
of Monkeys slowly to and fro until it acquires a
sufficient impetus to reach the trees on the opposite bank; when the foremost seizing a branch,
the hindmost relinquishes his hold, and the whole
are drawn up in succesion. This plan has at least
the merit of ingenuity.
This tail would seem to have almost the versatile powers of the Elephant’s trunk: it has been affirmed that the animal will sometimes use it to fish for crabs; and Humboldt asserts that it is so sensible as to pick any little object out of a crevice, the monkey not thinking it needful to turn his eye to the spot.
Like the Howlers, the Spider-monkeys live in troops, and support each other in case of need; exercising a jealous tyranny over the part of the forest in which they may be residing. They live on fruits, insects, and the eggs and young of birds. Their character is intelligent, docile, and affectionate; somewhat grave and melancholy; free from the petulance and fickleness of common monkeys.
The Quata, (Ateles paniscus, Linn.) is covered with long and coarse hair, but soft and silky in texture, of a deep black; the face is copper-coloured. The thumb of the fore-hands is altogether wanting; but on the posterior extremities, it, as well
