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Show 1871.] MR. E. BARTLETT ON PERUVIAN MONKEYS. 217 6. Notes on the Monkeys of Eastern Peru. By EDWARD BARTLETT. (Communicated, with Notes, by P. L. SCLATER.) [Received February 10, 1871.] (Plate XIII.) During my recent four years' sojourn on the Upper Amazons I met with the following species of Monkeys :- 1. ATELES VARIEGATUS, Wagner (A. bartletti, Gray, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 922, pl. xlvii.). Variegated Spider Monkey. On m y arrival in Peru in 1865 Mr. Hauxwell told me of the existence of a large species of Ateles, which he had killed but failed to preserve. He told m e that he met with it on the Rio Tigri, a small tributary that runs into the Amazons about four miles above the town of Nauta, on the north-western shores of the Peruvian Amazon. H e said that during the fourteen years he had traded he never found this species in any other locality. On my return from the River Ucayali, in September 1865, I wished to ascend the Rio Tigri in pursuit of this Monkey, but was obliged to abandon the idea on account of the prevalence of fever and ague at that season; and, moreover, the Indians were unwilling to join me in so dangerous a country. Having then determined to spend some few months in the mountain-country, I passed up the Maranon and Huallaga to Yurimaguas, and so on to Xeberos, whence I went on to the town of Chyavitos, in the mountains. Having heard that this large Monkey was to be met with in this little-known locality, I remained at Chyavitos about two months; and during that time I became well acquainted with the Indians, who informed m e that a long-armed Ape (called in the Inca language Urcu Maci-suppah, or Quillu Maci-suppah) was to be met with at a distance of three or more days' journey. I engaged three active Indians, and started by way of a forest footroad that had been opened by a Catholic priest to the town of Moyabamba as part of his penitence. At the end of three days I reached the highest point of the mountains; here we came across a number of the Monkeys in question-about eight or nine. I shot the male that is now in the British Museum ; m y Indian brought down another with the poison-dart. Having obtained two of them, I felt perfectly satisfied that I had discovered a new species. While, however, I was busily engaged preparing the finest specimen, my Indians had quietly placed the other on the fire ; to m y great horror and disgust they had singed the hair off, and thus spoiled m y second specimen. Of course I was obliged to keep peace, for we had not tasted meat for some days before starting from Chyavitos, and this Monkey proved a very dainty dish to us all. _ I was still in hopes of obtaining more specimens in the Munga- Urcu, or Saucepan Mountain (so called from its peculiar shape), but in this, after much hard work, I failed. |