United States or French Southern Territories ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Owl-laced Night Apes A third interesting genus of monkeys found near Ega, are the Nyctipitheci, or night apes, called Ei-a by the Indians. Of these I found two species, closely related to each other but nevertheless quite distinct, as both inhabit the same forests, namely, those of the higher and drier lands, without mingling with each other or intercrossing.
When travelling through some parts of the Amazonian forests, and looking up into an ancient tree, a number of little striped faces crowding a hole in the trunk may suddenly be seen gazing inquisitively down at the intruder who has disturbed their noonday sleep. These are Nyctipitheci, or night apes, which the Indians call ei-a, and are named also Douroucouli.
Many of them stopped at the pupunha trees, and the hustling, twittering, and screaming, with sounds of falling fruits, showed how they were employed. I thought, at first, they were Nyctipitheci, but they proved to be Jupuras, for the owner of the house early next morning caught a young one, and gave it to me.
The natives declare that it does so to avoid the risk of wetting its long beard, of which being generally destitute of such appendages themselves they fancy it must be excessively vain. As it is chiefly nocturnal in its habits, it might be classed among the Nyctipitheci, or night monkeys.