A Hand-book to the Primates, Volume 1 (of 2)Forbes, Henry O. (Henry Ogg)
Science
A Hand-book to the Primates, Volume 1 (of 2)
Forbes, Henry O. (Henry Ogg)
Primates
DISTRIBUTION.--The Upper Amazon Region. (_Bates._) The Black and Red
Tamarin is considered by Mr. Bates to be a form or race of the same stock
as _M. ursulus_, modified to suit the altered local conditions of its home,
for in the Upper Amazon Region, as Mr. Wallace has pointed out, the
seasons, as well as the nature of the country, differ very considerably.
HABITS.--Mr. Bates states that in its habits the present species is similar
to _Midas ursulus_. "One day," he says, "whilst walking along a forest
pathway, I saw one of these lively little fellows miss his grasp as he was
passing from one tree to another along with his troop. He fell head
foremost from a height of at least fifty feet; but managed cleverly to
alight on his legs on the pathway; quickly turning round, he gave me a good
stare for a few minutes, and then bounded off gaily to climb another tree."
XI. ILLIGER'S TAMARIN. MIDAS ILLIGERI.
_Hapale illigeri_, Pucher., Rev. Zool., 1845, p. 336.
{146}_Midas illigeri_, Geoffr., Cat. Méth. Primates, p. 65 (1851); Schl.,
Mus. Pays Bas, vii., p. 65 (1876).
_Midas flavifrons_, var. _d._ Gray, Cat. Monkeys Brit. Mus., p. 67
(1870).
_Midas devillii_ (nec Geoffr.), Sclater, P. Z. S., 1871, p. 220, pl.
xiii.
CHARACTERS.--Head black; back black, washed with grey; back of head, nape
of neck, shoulders and humeral region black, washed with reddish-brown;
under side and the outer and inner surface of both limbs red; tail at base
and tip red, intermediate portion black.
The sexes hardly differ; the male being merely rather larger and darker,
especially on the head and nape, where the hair is longer.
DISTRIBUTION.--Mr. E. Bartlett says that this was the only _Midas_ met with
by him in Eastern Peru. It was plentiful everywhere in the Peruvian
Amazons; and he obtained specimens both on the Huallaga and Ucayali rivers.
HABITS.--This species is extremely delicate, and will not bear the least
cold. "I have had them alive," writes Mr. Edward Bartlett, "for two or
three weeks; but they appear to suffer from cold and die. They are kept,
however, by the Indian women, who make pets of them and put them into the
long hair on their heads. With this protection they are able to live for a
long time. Having become tame, they frequently hop out and feed, or, having
captured a spider or two, scamper back again, and hide under the luxuriant
crop of their owners, who are generally unwilling to part with them."
em00With the succeeding species commences the group of Tamarins with no
mane and without white lips.
{147}XII. THE PIED TAMARIN. MIDAS BICOLOR.
_Midas bicolor_, Spix, Sim. et Vespert. Bras, p. 31, pl. 24, fig. 1
(1823).
_Hapale bicolor_, Wagner in Schreb., Säugeth., v., p. 135, pl. 12 (1855);
Schl., Mus. Pays Bas, vii., p. 257 (1876).
_Seniocebus bicolor_, Gray, Cat. Monkeys, Brit. Mus., p. 68 (1870).
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