We shall now pass from one continent to the other; all the four-handed
animals which we have described, and which we comprehended under the
generic names of Apes, Baboons, and Monkeys, belong exclusively to the
Old Continent; and all those which remain to be spoken of are only
to be found in the New World. We shall first distinguish them by the
two generic names of Sapajous and Sagoins. Both these animals have
their feet nearly like those of the apes, baboons, and monkeys; but
they differ from the apes by having tails, and from the baboons and
monkeys by not having a pouch in each cheek, nor callosities on their
posteriors; in short, they differ from the apes, baboons, and monkeys,
by having a broad division between their nostrils, and the apertures
being on the sides and not under the nose; therefore the sapajous and
sagoins are not only specifically, but even generically different
from the apes, monkeys, and baboons. When compared together they are
also found to differ in some generic characters, for every sapajou
has a long tail, which he can make use of to seize or lay hold of any
object. This tail they bend, extend, and curl at pleasure, and by the
extremity of which they suspend themselves from the branches of trees
to reach whatever they want: the under part of this tail is commonly
without hair, and covered with a smooth skin. The tails of the sagoins,
on the contrary, are proportionably longer than those of the sapajous,
and are weak, straight, and entirely covered with hair, so that they
cannot make use of them either to lay hold of any object, or for the
purpose of suspending themselves. This difference is alone sufficient
to distinguish the sapajou from the sagoin.
We are acquainted with eight sapajous, which probably should be reduced
to five species. The first is the _ouarine_, or _gouariba_, of Brasil.
This sapajou is as large as a fox, and only differs from that which is
called _alouate_ in its colour. The ouarine has black hair, and the
alouate red; and as they perfectly resemble each other in every other
respect, I consider them as belonging to the same species. The second
is the _coaita_, which is black like the ouarine, but not so large:
the _exquima_ seems to be a variety of this species. The third is the
_sajou_, or _sapajou_, properly so called. This is small, has brown
hair, and commonly known by the name of the _capuchin monkey_. There is
a variety in this species, which we shall call the _grey sajou_, and
which only differs from the _brown sajou_ by this difference of colour.
The fourth is the _sai_, called by some travellers the _howler_; he
is larger than the _sajou_, and his muzzle is broader: there are two
kinds, which differ only by the colour of the hair, the one being
of a reddish brown, and the other of a lighter colour. The fifth is
the _samiri_, commonly called the _orange monkey_. This last is the
smallest and most beautiful of all the sapajous.
We are acquainted with six species of sagoins. The first and largest
is the _saki_, whose tail is covered with hair so long and so bushy
that it has acquired the name of the _fox-tailed monkey_. There
appears to be a variety in this species, for I have seen two, both
of which appeared to be adult, and yet one was almost twice as big
as the other. The second is the _tamarin_, which is generally black,
with four yellow feet, but they vary in colour, some being found of an
olive brown, spotted. The third is the _ouistiti_, remarkable for large
tufts of hair round his face, and an annulated tail. The fourth is the
_marikina_ which has a kind of mane on the neck, and a bunch of hair,
like the lion, at the end of the tail, whence it has been called the
_small lion_. The fifth is the _pinche_, whose face is of a beautiful
black colour, with hairs descending from the top and sides of the head,
in the form of long smooth tresses. And the sixth is the _mico_, which
is the most beautiful animal of this kind; its hair is of a silver
colour, and its face as red as vermilion. We shall now give the history
of each of these sapajous and sagoins, most of which have been little
known.