. Natural history. Zoology. APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS. Woolly Spider- Monkey (Brachytdts). of larger size and less active habits than the capuchins. They suffer con- siderably from the cold, and even at Bahia I have seen them on a wet day fall into a torpid condition, when they were relentlessly thrown into the sea by their captors. Mr. Wallace remarked that from their gentle disposition they are " most frequently seen in confinement, and are great favourites from their grave countenances, which resemble the human face more than those of any other monkeys, their quiet manners, and the gre
. Natural history. Zoology. APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS. Woolly Spider- Monkey (Brachytdts). of larger size and less active habits than the capuchins. They suffer con- siderably from the cold, and even at Bahia I have seen them on a wet day fall into a torpid condition, when they were relentlessly thrown into the sea by their captors. Mr. Wallace remarked that from their gentle disposition they are " most frequently seen in confinement, and are great favourites from their grave countenances, which resemble the human face more than those of any other monkeys, their quiet manners, and the great affection and docility they ; The woolly spider-monkey (Brachyteles arachnoides), which is now con- sidered to be the sole representative of its genus, is in many respects inter- mediate between the woolly monkeys and the true spider- monkeys, having the dense woolly pellage of the former, coupled with the long and slender limbs of the latter. The thumb is rudimental, and the nails of the other digits are compressed and pointed. These monkeys, which are con- fined to the dense forests of South-Eastern Brazil, from Capo San Roque to Eio Grande do Sul, appear to be very rare, and little is consequently known of their habits. The last genus of this sub-family includes the half-score species of true spider-monkeys, constituting a genus distinguished from the preceding by the fur not being of a woolly nature, Spider-Monkeys the complete absence of the thumb, and the slight com- [A teles). pression of the nails. Both the tail and limbs are greatly elongated. These monkeys have a wide range, extending from Mexico to Paraguay ; the variegated spider-monkey (Ateles variegatiis) being one of the most familiar. In it the prehensile tail reaches its perfection. It is a remarkably sensitive organ, answering the purpose of a "fifth hand," being capable of use " for any purpose to which the hand could be applied," and for hooking out objects from pLioes &qu
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