But its owner, the Municipal Judge of Ega, Dr.Carlos Mariana, had treated it for many weeks with the greatest kindness, allowing it to sleep with him at night in his hammock, and to nestle in his bosom half the day as he lay reading.It was a great favourite with everyone, from the cleanliness of its habits to the prettiness of its features and ways.My own pet was kept in a box, in which was placed a broad-mouthed glass jar; into this it would dive, head foremost, when any one 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 length of its tether, after cockroaches and spiders.In climbing between the box and the wall, it straddled the space, resting its hands on the palms and tips of the out-stretched fingers with the knuckles bent at an acute angle, and thus mounted to the top with the greatest facility.Although seeming to prefer insects, it ate all kinds of fruit, but would not touch raw or cooked meat, and was very seldom thirsty.I was told by persons who had kept these monkeys loose about the house, that they cleared the chambers of bats as well as insect vermin.When approached gently my Ei-a allowed itself to be caressed; but when handled roughly, it always took alarm, biting severely, striking out its little hands, and making a hissing noise like a cat.As already related, my pet was killed by a jealous Caiarara monkey, which was kept in the house at the same time.
Barrigudo Monkeys.--Ten other species of monkeys were found, in addition to those already mentioned, in the forests of the Upper Amazons.All were strictly arboreal and diurnal in their habits, and lived in flocks, travelling from tree to tree, the mothers with their children on their backs-- leading, in fact, a life similar to that of the Pararauate Indians, and, like them, occasionally plundering the plantations which lie near their line of march.Some of them were found also on the Lower Amazons, and have been noticed in former chapters of this narrative.Of the remainder, the most remarkable is the Macaco barrigudo, or bag-bellied monkey of the Portuguese colonists, a species of Lagothrix.The genus is closely allied to the Coaitas, or spider monkeys, having, like them, exceedingly strong and flexible tails, which are furnished underneath with a naked palm like a hand, for grasping.The Barrigudos, however, are very bulky animals, while the spider monkeys are remarkable for the slenderness of their bodies and limbs.I obtained specimens of what have been considered two species, one (L.olivaceus of Spix?) having the head clothed with grey, the other (L.
Humboldtii) with black fur.They both live together in the same places, and are probably only differently-coloured individuals of one and the same species.I sent home a very large male of one of these kinds, which measured twenty-seven inches in length of trunk, the tail being twenty-six inches long; it was the largest monkey I saw in America, with the exception of a black Howler, whose body was twenty-eight inches in height.The skin of the face in the Barrigudo is black and wrinkled, the forehead is low, with the eyebrows projecting, and, in short, the features altogether resemble in a striking manner those of an old negro.
In the forests, the Barrigudo is not a very active animal; it lives exclusively on fruits, and is much persecuted by the Indians, on account of the excellence of its flesh as food.From information given me by a collector of birds and mammals, whom Iemployed, and who resided a long time among the Tucuna Indians near Tabatinga, I calculated that one horde of this tribe, 200 in number, destroyed 1200 of these monkeys annually for food.The species is very numerous in the forests of the higher lands, but, owing to long persecution, it is now seldom seen in the neighbourhood of the larger villages.It is not found at all on the Lower Amazons.Its manners in captivity are grave, and its temper mild and confiding, like that of the Coaitas, owing to these traits, the Barrigudo is much sought after for pets; but it is not hardy like the Coaitas, and seldom survives a passage down the river to Para.
