Pithecia monachus, Geoffr., Ann. Mus., xix., p. 116 (1812); Flower, P. Z. S., 1862, p. 326, pl. xxxvii.; Gray, Cat. Monkeys Brit. Mus., p. 59 (1870).
Pithecia hirsuta, Spix, Sim. et Vespert. Bras., p. 14, pl. 9 (1823).
Pithecia inusta, Spix, t. c. p. 15, pl. x. (1823).
Pithecia irrorata, Gray, Voy. Sulphur, Zool., p. 14, pl. 3 (1844).
Pithecia albicans, Gray, P. Z. S., 1860, p. 231, pl. lxxxi.
Pithecia monacha, Schl., Mus. Pays Bas, vii., p. 220 (1876).
Characters.—Fur harsh, long and loose, with a hood of forwardly-directed hairs on the upper part of the head, neck, and shoulders. Face bare, long, and narrow; nose large and full; nostrils widely separated and lateral. Face dark purplish-brown, and black on the nose, paler round the eyes, and sparingly covered with short coarse whitish hairs; a yellowish-white patch on the cheeks, terminating in front in a distinct line from the inner corner of the eye to below the angle of the mouth; margin of upper lips white; ears large, round, naked, and of the same colour as the face; upper part and back of head, neck, shoulders, back, arms, thighs, and tail, black, washed with yellowish-white, becoming yellowish-brown on the hinder part of the body. Throat, breast, under side of body, and inside of thighs, pale yellowish-brown, sparingly haired. Tail 18 inches long, cylindrical, and bushy at the end; the hair long, coarse, curled, black, washed with pale yellowish-brown. Legs black; fore-arm black, washed with white; upper surface of hands, feet, and digits, white. Hands small, thumbs short, parallel to the other fingers; nails black, somewhat compressed, pointed, that of the thumb flatter; great-toe well developed, standing apart from the other toes, its nail flat and pointed; nails of the other toes long, curved, and compressed.
Distribution.—Mr. Bates states that the "Parauacú," as this Monkey is called by the natives of its own country, is found on the "terra firma" lands of the north shore of the Solimoens, or Upper Amazon, from Tunantins to Peru. It exists also on the south side of the river on the banks of the Teffé, but there under a changed form, which differs from its type in colours, as much as the red differs from the white Uakarí. This variety is Dr. Gray's Pithecia albicans.
Habits.—The Hairy Saki is a very timid and inoffensive animal, and is also, as Mr. Bates tells us in his well-known book, "very delicate, rarely living many weeks in captivity; but anyone who succeeds in keeping it alive for a month or two, gains by it a most affectionate pet. One of the specimens now in the British Museum was, when living, the property of a neighbour of mine at Ega. It became so tame in the course of a few weeks that it followed him about the streets like a dog. My friend was a tailor, and the little pet used to spend the greater part of the day seated on his shoulder whilst he was at work on his board. It showed, nevertheless, great dislike to strangers, and was not on good terms with any other member of my friend's household than himself.... The eager and passionate Cebi seem to take the lead of all the South American Monkeys in intelligence and docility, and the Coaita, one of the Spider-Monkeys (Ateles paniscus), has, perhaps, the most gentle and impressionable disposition; but the Parauacú, although a dull, cheerless animal, excels all in this quality of capability of attachment to individuals of our own species, nor is it wanting in intelligence."
II. THE WHITE-HEADED SAKI. PITHECIA PITHECIA.