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Show 1869.] MR. SCLATER O N TWO SPECIES OF MAMMALS. 593 survivor of several others of the same species. Mr. Bates, being in the Gardens shortly afterwards, recognized this Monkey as one that he had met with on the Tocantins River, and had spoken of in his interesting travels as Midas argentatus*. Following his identification, I referred the species to the Simia argentata of Linnaeus, and in one of m y notices of the additions to the Menagerie, published in the Society's ' Proceedings' for the past year (P. Z. S. 1868, p. 262), spoke of the animal as Hapale argentata. About the same time Dr. Gray, having made a cursory inspection of this Monkey at the British Museum, whither I had sent it, in order to be compared with the specimens in the National Collection, named it Mico°\ sericeus, and published under that name a very short description of it in the Society's 'Proceedings' (1868, p. 256), which is accompanied with an accurate figure by Mr. Wolf (plate xxiv.). When inspecting the fine collection of American Quadrumana in the Berlin Museum last summer, under the guidance of m y friend Dr. Peters, I first became aware that I had made a sad error in referring our Hapale to H. argentata. The Berlin Aluseum is fortunate in possessing authentic specimens of II. argentata, as well as of the Hapale chrysoleucos of Wagner. On examining these (which are both deficient in the British Museum, and had never come under m y notice previously), I perceived at once that our animal was referable to the latter, and not to the former species. The Hapale argentata, although somewhat resembling H. chrysoleucos in colour, has the ear-conch naked, as in its close ally H. melanura, while in H. chrysoleucos this organ is densely fringed with hair. In order, however, to set the question definitely at rest, 1 applied to m y friend Herr August von Pelzeln of Vienna, who most kindly supplied me in exchange, from the treasures of the Imperial Zoological Cabinet, with one of the duplicate specimens of * " The little Midas argentatus is one of the rarest of the American Monkeys. I have not heard of its being found anywhere except near CametA. I once saw three individuals together running along a branch in a Cacao-grove near Ca-meta; they looked like white kittens: in their motions they resembled precisely the Midas ursulus already described. I saw afterwards a pet animal of this species, and heard that there were many so kept, and that they were esteemed as choice treasures. The one I saw was full-grown, but it measured only 7 inches in length of body. It was covered with long, white, silky hairs, the tail was blackish, and the face nearly naked and flesh-coloured. It was a most timid and sensitive little thing. The woman who owned it carried it constantly in her bosom, and no money would induce her to part with her pet. She called it Mico. It fed from her mouth, and allowed her to fondle it freely ; but the nervous little creature would not permit strangers to touch it. If any one attempted to do so, it shrank back, the whole body trembling with fear, and its teeth chattered, whilst it uttered its tremulous frightened tones. The expression of its features was like that of its more robust brother, Midas ursulus ; the eyes, which were black, were full of curiosity and mistrust, and it always kept them fixed on the person who attempted to advance towards it."- Bates's ' Naturalist on the Biver Amazons,' vol. i. p. 162. t The value of this genus (!) may be estimated by the fact that it is characterized (P.Z. S. 1865, p. 734) as having the " ears naked, exposed," whereas the so-called Mico sericeus has the ear-conch thickly fringed with outstanding white hairs. |
