erfection. It is to them a fifth hand, and apparently more useful than
the other four. It assists them very materially in travelling through
the tree-tops. They use it to bring objects nearer them. They use it to
suspend themselves in a state of repose, and thus suspended, they
sleep--nay more, thus suspended they often die! Of all the monkey tribe
the ateles are those that have most prehensile power in their tails.

There are several species of them known--the coaita, the white-faced,
the black cayou, the beelzebub, the chamek, the black-handed, and the
marimonda. The habits of all are very similar, though the species differ
in size and colour.

The marimonda is one of the largest of South American monkeys, being
about three feet standing upon its hind-legs, with a tail of immense
length, thick and strong near the root, and tapering to a point. On its
under side, for the last foot or so from the end, there is no hair, but
a callous skin, and this is the part used for holding on to the
branches. The marimonda is far from being a handsome monkey. Its long,
thin arms and thumbless hands give it an attenuated appearance, which is
not relieved by the immense disproportioned tail. It is reddish, or of a
parched coffee colour, on the upper part of the body, which becomes
blanched on the throat, belly, and insides of the thighs. Its colour, in
fact, is somewhat of the hue of the half-blood Indian and Negro,--hence
the marimonda is known in some parts of Spanish America by the name of
"mono zambo," or "zambo" monkey--a "zambo" being the descendant of
Indian and Negro parents.

The noise made by the marimondas which had been heard by our party
seemed to proceed from the bank of the river, some distance above the
promontory; but it was evidently growing louder every minute, and they
judged that the monkeys were approaching.

In a few minutes they appeared in sight, passing along the upper part of
a grove of trees that stood close to the water. Our travellers had now
an excellent view of them, and they sat watching them with interest.
Their mode of progression was extremely curious. They never came to the
ground, but where the branches interlocked they ran from one to the
other with the lightning speed of squirrels, or, indeed, like birds upon
the wing.

Sometimes, however, the boughs stood far apart. Then the marimonda,
running out as far as the branch would bear him, would wrap a few inches
of his tail around it and spring