The monkey generally brings forth one at a time, and sometimes two. They are rarely found to breed when brought over into Europe; but of those that do, they exhibit a very striking picture of parental affection. The male and female are never tired of fondling their young one. When in a state of domestic tameness, these animals are very amusing, and often fill up a vacant hour when other amusement is wanting. There are few that are not acquainted with their various mimickries, and their capricious feats of activity. But it is generally in company with other animals of a more simple disposition that their tricks and superior instincts are shown: they seem to take a delight in tormenting them; and I have seen one of them amusing itself for hours together in imposing upon the gravity of a cat.(g)

As of all savages those of Africa are the most brutal, so, of all countries, the monkeys of Africa are the most expert and entertaining. The monkeys of America are, in general, neither so sagacious nor so tractable, nor is their form so nearly approaching that of man. The monkeys of the new continent may be very easily distinguished from those of the old by three marks. Those of the ancient continent are universally found to have a naked callous substance behind, upon which they sit, which those of America are entirely without: those also of the ancient continent have the nostrils differently formed, more resembling those of men, the holes opening downward; whereas the American monkeys have them opening on each side: those of the ancient world have pouches on each side the jaw, into which they put their provisions, which those of America are without; lastly, none of the monkeys of the ancient continent hang by the tail, which many of the American sorts are known to do. By these marks the monkeys of either continent may be readily distinguished from each other, and prized accordingly. The African monkey, as I am assured, requires a longer education, and more correction, than that of America; but it is at last found capable of more various powers of imitation, and shows a greater degree of cunning and activity.

Buffon, who has examined this race of imitative beings with greater accuracy than any other naturalist before him, makes but nine species of monkeys belonging to the ancient continent, and eleven belonging to the new. To all these he gives the names which they go by in their respective countries; which, undoubtedly, is the method least liable to error, and the most proper for imitation.*

THE MAKI.—The last of the monkey kind are the Makies; which have no other pretensions to be placed in this class, except that of having hands like the former, and making use of them to climb trees or to pluck their food. The first of this kind is the Mococo; a beautiful animal, about the size of a common cat, but the body and limbs slenderer, and of a longer make. It has a very long tail, at least double the length of its body; it is covered with fur, and marked alternately with broad rings of black and white. But what it is chiefly remarkable for, besides the form of its hands and feet, is the largeness of its eyes, which are

(g) ANECDOTE-Erasmus tells us of a large monkey, kept by Sir Thomas More, that, one day diverting itself in his garden, where some tame rabbits were kept, played several of its usual pranks among them, while the rabbits scarce well knew what to make of their new acquaintance. In the mean time, a weasel, that came for very different purposes than those of entertainment, was seen peering about the place in which the rabbits were fed, and endeavouring to make its way by removing a board that closed their hutch. While the monkey saw no danger, it continued a calm spectator of the enemy's efforts; but just when, by long labour, the weasel had effected its purpose, and had removed the board, the monkey stepped in, and, with the utmost dexterity, fastened it again in its

place; and the disappointed weasel was too much fatigued to renew its operations.

Th

VARIETIES OF THIS SPECIES. Of the great number of species, upwards of one hundred which are now known and characterized, very few are distinguished from their imme diate fellows by striking and strongly-marked characters, either physical or moral. groups, too, are connected by such gradua and easy transitions, that although the typica forms of each, isolated from the mass and placed in contrast with each other, unquestionably exhibit many broadly-distinguishing peculiarities, yet the entire series offers a chain so nearly complete and unbroken as scarcely to admit of being treated of in any other way than as one homogeneous whole. — GRIFFITH.

surrounded with a broad black space, and the length of the hinder legs, which

by far exceed those before. When it sleeps, it brings its nose to its belly, and its tail over its head. When it plays it uses a sort of galloping, with its tail raised over its back, which keeps continually in motion. The head is covered with dark ash-coloured hair; the back and sides with a red ash-colour, and not so dark as on the head; and the whole glossy, soft, and delicate, smooth to the touch, and standing almost upright, like the pile of velvet. It is a native of Madagascar; appears to be a

harmless, gentle animal; and though it resembles the monkey in many respects, it has neither its malice nor its mischief: nevertheless, like the monkey, it seems to be always in motion; and moves, like all four-handed animals, in an oblique direction.

A second of this kind, which is also a native of Madagascar, is the Mongooz; which is less than the former, with a soft, glossy robe, but a little curled The nose also is thicker than that of the mococo; their eyes are black, with orangecoloured circles round the pupil, and the tail is of one uniform colour. As to the rest, it is found of various colours, some being black, others brown; and its actions somewhat resemble those of a monkey.

The Vari is much larger than either of the former; its hair is much longer, and it has a kind of ruff round the neck, consisting of very long hair, by which it may be easily distinguished from the rest. It differs also in its disposition, which is fierce and savage; as also in the loudness of its voice, which somewhat resembles the roaring of the lion. This also is a native of Madagascar.

To this tribe we may refer a little four-handed animal, of the island of Ceylon, which Buffon calls the Lori, very re

markable for the singularity of its figure. This is, of all other animals, the longest in proportion to its size, having nine vertebræ in the loins; whereas other quadrupeds have only seven.(g) The body appears still the longer by having no tail. In other respects, it resembles those of the maki kind, as well in its hands and feet, as in its snout, and in the glossy qualities of its hair. It is about the size of a squirrel;

and appears to be a tame, harmless, little animal.

THE VARIED MONKEY, OR MONA, is the best known of all the monkey tribe, being more frequently brought into Europe than any other. It is a native of Barbary and other northern parts of Africa, Arabia, and Persia, where it is called the Mona, from which our general term is derived.

Its nose is short and thick; its face of a dark lead colour; the beard on each side long, and of a greenish yellow; the top of the head is bright yellow, freckled with black; back and sides deep brown, with black freckles; legs, feet, and tail, black; inside of the thighs of a pale blue colour, thinly covered with whitish hairs; and on each side of the rump, close by the tail, is a large white spot.

(g) Buffon, vol. xxvi. p. 274.

Bewick illustrates one in his work, from a living specimen, which he says

was remarkably gentle, tame, and familiar; and seemed to have some attachment to those with whom it was acquainted. Its length was eighteen inches; tail about two feet. It was fed with bread, roasted meat, and fruit of all kinds, of which t was particularly fond. THE OPPOSSUM, AND ITS KINDS.To these four-handed animals of the ancient continent, we may add the four-handed animals of the new, that use their hands like the former, as well as their tails, and that fill up the chasm between

three inches long, while those behind are about four. The feet are like hands, each having five toes or fingers, with white crooked nails, and rather longer Dehind than before. But it is particular in this animal that the thumb on the ninder legs wants a nail; whereas the fingers are furnished with clawed nails as usual.

But that which distinguishes this animal from all others, and what has excited the wonder of mankind for more than two centuries, is the extraordinary conformation of its belly, as it is found to have a false womb, into which the young, when brought forth in the usual manner, creep, and continue for some days longer to lodge and suckle securely. This bag, if we may so call it, being one of the most extraordinary things in natural history, requires a more minute description. Under the belly of the female is a kind of slit or opening, of

POUCHED ANIMALS.-This race was known at first only in America: all the species found on that continent agree so com

pletely in general organization, as well as in this peculiar conformation of the genitals, that Linnæus found in them the elements of

about three inches long: this opening is composed of a skin, which makes a bag internally, which is covered on the inside with hair, and in this bag are the teats of the female, and into it the young, when brought forth, retire, either to suckle or to escape from danger. This bag has a power of opening and shutting at the will of the animal; and this is performed by means of several muscles, and two bones, that are fitted for this purpose, and that are peculiar to this animal only. These two bones are placed before the os pubis, to which they are joined at the base; they are about two inches long, and grow smaller and smaller to their extremities. These support the muscles that serve to open the bag, and give them a fixture. To these muscles there are antagonists, that serve, in the same manner, to shut the bag; and this they perform so exactly, that in the living animal the opening can scarcely be discerned, except when the sides are forcibly drawn asunder. The inside of this bag is furnished with glands that exude a musky substance, which communicates to the flesh of the animal, and renders it unfit to be eaten. It is not to be supposed that this is the place where the young are conceived, as some have been led to imagine; for the oppossum has another womb, like that of the generality of animals, in which generation is performed in the ordinary manner. The bag we have been describing may rather be considered as a supplemental womb. In the real womb the little animal is partly brought to perfection; in the ordinary one it receives a kind of additional incubation; and acquires at last strength enough to follow the dam wherever she goes. We have many reasons to suppose that the young of this animal are all brought forth prematurely, or before they have acquired that degree of perfection which is common in other quadrupeds. The little ones, when first produced, are in a manner but half completed; and some travellers assert that they are at that time not much larger than flies. We are assured, also, that, immediately on quitting the real womb, they creep into the false one, where they continue fixed to the teat until they have strength sufficient to venture once more into the open air, and share the fatigues of the parent. Ulloa assures us that he has found five of these little creatures hidden in the belly of the dam three days after she was dead, still alive, and all clinging to the teat with great evidity. It is probable, therefore, that, upon their first entering the false womb, they seldom stir out from thence; but when more advanced they venture forth several times in the day; and, at last, seldom make use of their retreat, except in cases of necessity or danger. Travellers are not agreed in their accounts of

a single genus, which he called Didelphis, or double wombed.

Afterwards, from the East Indies, and still later from the regions of Australasia, animals arrived, equally distinguished by the possession of the abdominal pouch.

At first, an opinion arose that the young of these animals were actually produced in the abdominal pouch beside the maminæ of the mother. This notion is also common in Virginia even among physicians. Beverly says that the young oppossum exists in the false belly, without ever entering the true, and are developed on the teats of the mother. Two oppossums, male and female, were domesticated in the house of M. d'Aboville, in 1783; these animals copulated, and the effects were attentively observed by that gentleman. In about ten days the edge of the orifice of the pouch grew thicker-a phenomenon which afterwards grew more perceptible. As the pouch increased in size, the orifice widened. On the thirteenth day, the female did not quit her retreat except to eat, drink, and evaeuate: on the fourteenth she did not stir from

it. M. d'Aboville then determined to seize and examine her: the pouch, the aperture of which had widened before, was now nearly closed; a slimy secretion moistened the hairs on its circumference. On the fifteenth day, a finger was introduced into the pouch, and a round body about the size of a pea was plainly felt at the bottom. This examination was made with difficulty, on account of the impatience of the mother, who had before this been always very mild and tranquil. On the seventeenth, she permitted a further examination, and M. d'Aboville discovered two bodies about the size of a pea. There was, however, a great number of these young ones. On the twenty-fifth day, they moved very perceptibly, yielding to the touch; on the fortieth, the pouch was sufficiently open for them to be plainly distinguished; and on the sixtieth, when the mother lay down, they were seen hanging to the teats, some outside the pouch, some inside. The nipple is about twoeighths of an inch in length; but it soon dries up, and at last drops off, after the manner of the umbilical cord.-CUVIER.

the time which these animals take to continue in the false womb: some assure us they remain there for several weeks; and others, more precisely, mention a month. During this period of strange gestation, there is no difficulty in opening the bag in which they are concealed: they may be reckoned, examined, and handled, without much inconvenience; for they keep fixed to the teat, and cling there as firm as if they made a part of the body of the animal that bears them. When they are grown stronger, they drop from the teat into the bag in which they are contained; and, at last, find their way out in search of more copious subsistence. Still, however, the false belly serves them for a retreat, either when they want to sleep or to suckle, or when they are pursued by an enemy. The dam, on such occasions, opens her bag to receive them, which they enter, Pars formidine turpi

Scandunt rursus equum et nota conduntur in alvo.

The oppossum, when on the ground, is a slow, helpless animal: the formation of its hands are alone sufficient to show its incapacity of running with any degree of swiftness; but, to counterbalance this inconvenience, it climbs trees with great ease and expedition.(g) It chiefly subsists upon birds, and hides among the leaves of the trees to seize them by surprise. It often also hangs by the tail, which is long and muscular; and, in this situation, for hours together, with the head downwards, it keeps watching for its prey. If any lesser animal, which it is able to overcome, passes underneath, it drops upon it with deadly aim and quickly devours it. By means of its tail, the oppossum also slings from one tree to another, hunts insects, escapes its pursuers, and provides for its safety. It seems to be a creature that lives upon vegetables, as well as animal substances, roots, sugar-canes, the bark, and even the leaves of trees. It is easily tamed, but it is a disagreeable domestic, as well from its stupidity and figure as its scent, which, however fragrant in small quantities, fails not to be ungrateful when copiously supplied.

An animal, greatly resembling the former,(g) is the Marmose, which is found in the same continent. It seems only to differ in size, being less; and, instead of a bag to receive its young, has only two longitudinal folds near the thighs, within which the young, which are prematurely brought forth, as in the last instance, continue to suckle. The young of these, when first produced are not above the size of a bean, but continue sticking to the teat until they have arrived at greater maturity.

dw Ismini

The Cayopolin is somewhat larger than the former; and a good deal resembling it in habits and figure, except that its snout is more pointed, its tail longer in proportion, and its colour different, being of an ash, somewhat inclining to yellow; however, I should suppose it to be only a variety of the former.

To this number we may add the Phalanger, so called by Buffon; a good deal resembling the former, but distin

guished by the fashion of its hinder hands; the thumb and the fore finger being joined together, except at the extremities. This animal is about the size of a rat; and has, accordingly, by some been called the Rat of Surinam.

The last animal of this class is called, by Buffon, the Tarsier. This extraordinary little animal resembles the former in having four hands and a long tail; but it

(9) Buffon, vol. xxi. p. 174.