A Hand-book to the Primates, Volume 2 (of 2)Forbes, Henry O. (Henry Ogg)
Science
A Hand-book to the Primates, Volume 2 (of 2)
Forbes, Henry O. (Henry Ogg)
Primates
CHARACTERS.--Face thinly covered with greyish-white hairs; nose and upper
lip black; ears, naked, black; a bar across the forehead, expanding on the
sides of the head, throat, sides of the neck, and chin, white; from the
shoulders a mantle of long white silky hairs extending down each side and
meeting on the lower back, so as to hang down over the sides of the body,
the hips, and thighs; the outside of the latter greyish-white; the hinder
third of the tail tufted and white, each hair ringed with numerous fine
bands of brown; the whole of the rest of the body deep shining black.
Length of the body, 28 inches; of the tail, 28½.
DISTRIBUTION.--This remarkably beautiful Monkey inhabits North-Eastern
Africa, where it is not uncommon in the {98}provinces of Godjan and the
kingdom of Shoa. Dr. Blanford, however, did not hear of it during his
journey with the British army to Magdala. It is found also in the
neighbourhood of Mount Kilimanjaro, and was shot in the forested plains
near the coast by Mr. H. H. Johnston. The form of this species which has
been described under the name of _C. occidentalis_ is more or less confined
to the south of Lulongo, in the Upper Congo, between 6° N. latitude and 12°
East longitude.
HABITS.--The "Guereza," as the natives of Abyssinia name this species,
lives in small troops in the very highest trees of the forest, in the
neighbourhood of streams. It is very active and lively, and quite harmless
in disposition. The food of this _Colobus_ consists of wild fruits,
insects, and such like, which it searches for throughout the day only,
retiring during the night. "The _Colobus_ Monkey," observes Mr. H. H.
Johnston, "is almost the only one that quite avoids the neighbourhood of
Man; the other genera frequent the vicinity of native plantations, and
doubtless profit by the abundance of cultivated food." The skin of this
Monkey is in great request among the Masai warriors both for dresses,
capes, and caps, the long white mantle of the creature forming a most
ornamental costume; and also to cover their shields with.
X. THE WHITE-TAILED GUEREZA. COLOBUS CAUDATUS.
_Colobus guereza caudatus_, Thomas, P. Z. S., 1885, p. 219, pl. xii.;
Johnston, Kilimanj. Exped., pp. 174, 388, 389, fig. 72; Matschie, S. B.
Gesell. Naturf. Fr. Berlin, 1892, p. 225.
_Guereza caudatus_, Rochebr., Faun. Sénég. Suppl., Mamm., p. 136, pl.
xii.
(_Plate XXXIV._)
PLATE XXXIV.
[Illustration: THE WHITE-TAILED GUEREZA.]
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