There are several queer families of American Monkeys that make their
home in Brazil, Peru and on the banks of the Amazon and the Orinoco.
Further South, and along the western part of South America are found
many of the small Monkeys with long tails like those we usually see in
this country patiently following the street organs and making trade for
their Italian masters. The most of these are intelligent, affectionate
little fellows, and are more in demand for taming than the Monkeys of
Africa, or even those of the smaller families found in Asia and Europe.
Nearly all of the American Monkeys have long tails, and some find them a
great help in climbing; these are usually classed as the Prehensile
tailed Monkeys, and the Non-prehensile tailed Monkeys are those who do
not make any use of their long tails in grasping the limbs of the trees,
etc., in climbing. Very few of the American Monkeys have cheek-pouches
and their nostrils are placed on the sides of the nose, instead of
beneath it, giving them a very different appearance from the Apes,
Baboons, etc., found in Africa. The different kinds of American Monkeys
are usually divided into several families with the usual long hard Latin
names to distinguish them, but as these names mean simply, the Howlers,
the Spider Monkeys, the Weepers, etc., we will use only their English
names in describing them.