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Turning to the Old World, the males of Hylobates hoolock are always black, with the exception of a white band over the brows; the females vary from whity-brown to a dark tint mixed with black, but are never wholly black. On Mycetes, Rengger, ibid. s. 14; and Brehm, 'Thierleben, B. i. s. 96, 107. On Ateles Desmarest, 'Mammalogie, p. 75. On Hylobates, Blyth, 'Land and Water, 1867, p. 135.
They take a large nut, and scraping out the interior, leave only a small mouth, and, filling it with sugar, leave it near the trees inhabited by the mycetes. The inquisitive monkey soon descends to examine the nut, and putting in his hand, grasps the sweet contents. Knowing that it is well-suited to his taste, he will not let go, but runs off with his prize, which greatly impedes his progress.
In South America the Mycetes caraya presents well-marked sexual differences, in colour, beard, and vocal organs; and the male generally lives with two or three wives: the male of the Cebus capucinus differs somewhat from the female, and appears to be polygamous. On the Gorilla, Savage and Wyman, 'Boston Journal of Natural History, vol. v. 1845-47, p. 423.
They differ somewhat in colour. Some are entirely black, others brownish-black, while the Mycetes ursinus is of a shiny yellow.
It was a howler, probably the Mycetes stramineus of Geoffroy St. Hilaire. The howlers are the only kinds of monkey which the natives have not succeeded in taming. They are often caught, but they do not survive captivity many weeks. The one of which I am speaking was not quite full grown.
Brehm, on the effects of intoxicating liquors on monkeys; on the recognition of women by male Cynocephali; on the diversity of the mental faculties of monkeys; on the habits of baboons; on revenge taken by monkeys; on manifestations of maternal affection by monkeys and baboons; on the instinctive dread of monkeys for serpents; on the use of stones as missiles by baboons; on a baboon using a mat for shelter from the sun; on the signal-cries of monkeys; on sentinels posted by monkeys; on co-operation of animals; on an eagle attacking a young Cercopithecus; on baboons in confinement protecting one of their number from punishment; on the habits of baboons when plundering; on polygamy in Cynocephalus and Cebus; on the numerical proportion of the sexes in birds; on the love-dance of the blackcock; Palamedea cornuta; on the habits of the Black-grouse; on sounds produced by birds of paradise; on assemblages of grouse; on the finding of new mates by birds; on the fighting of wild boars; on sexual differences in Mycetes; on the habits of Cynocephalus hamadryas.
Hour after hour it goes on during the night, increasing as the dawn approaches. Now the howls come from one direction, now from another, and in far-off parts of the forest. Yet, terrific as they appear, they are produced by animals not much larger than a full-grown fox. It is the mycetes, or ursine howler the largest monkey of South America.
The American Mycetes caraya perhaps forms an exception, as does the Hylobates agilis, an ape allied to man. This gibbon has an extremely loud but musical voice. Mr. Given in W.C.L. Martin's 'General Introduction to Natural History of Mamm.
The alligator, far from being a silent animal, as is generally supposed, makes a hideous noise at times, bellowing with so singular a cadence and loud a din, that he can even outroar the jaguars and mycetes. Sir Richard Schombergh describes the way in which the alligator seizes its prey. He secured a bird or fish to a piece of wood, and then turned it adrift on the river.
It measured sixteen inches in length, exclusive of the tail the whole body was covered with rather long and shining dingy-white hair, the whiskers and beard only being of a tawny hue. Both these lively members of the monkey order seemed rather to court attention, but the Mycetes slunk away when anyone approached it.
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