IX. RUPPELL'S GUEREZA. COLOBUS GUEREZA.
Colobus guereza, Rüpp, Neue Wirbelth. Saügeth., p. 1, pl. 1 (1835); Lesson, Spec. Mamm., p. 68 (1840); Martin, Mammif. An., p. 494 (1841); Is. Geoffr., Dict. H. N., iv., p. 117 (1849); id., Cat. Méth. Primates, p. 17 (1851); Temm., Esquiss. Zool. Guin., p. 23 (1853); Dahlb., Zool. Stud., i., p. 95 (1857); Sclater, P. Z. S., 1860, p. 246; Gray, P. Z. S., 1868, p. 182; Schl., Mus. Pays-Bas, vii., p. 25 (1876); Thomas, P. Z. S., 1885, p. 219; Matschie, S. B. Gesell. Natur. Fr. Berlin, 1892, p. 225, et seqq.Guereza rueppelli, Gray, Cat. Monkeys Brit. Mus., p. 19 (1870); Rochebr., Faun. Sénégamb., i., Mamm., p. 25 (1885); id., t.c., suppl., p. 129, pl. xi. (1887).Guereza guereza, Trouess., Consp. Mamm., p. 10 (1879.)Guereza occidentalis, Rochebr.,op. cit., Suppl., p. 140, pl. xiii. (1887).
Colobus guereza, Rüpp, Neue Wirbelth. Saügeth., p. 1, pl. 1 (1835); Lesson, Spec. Mamm., p. 68 (1840); Martin, Mammif. An., p. 494 (1841); Is. Geoffr., Dict. H. N., iv., p. 117 (1849); id., Cat. Méth. Primates, p. 17 (1851); Temm., Esquiss. Zool. Guin., p. 23 (1853); Dahlb., Zool. Stud., i., p. 95 (1857); Sclater, P. Z. S., 1860, p. 246; Gray, P. Z. S., 1868, p. 182; Schl., Mus. Pays-Bas, vii., p. 25 (1876); Thomas, P. Z. S., 1885, p. 219; Matschie, S. B. Gesell. Natur. Fr. Berlin, 1892, p. 225, et seqq.
Guereza rueppelli, Gray, Cat. Monkeys Brit. Mus., p. 19 (1870); Rochebr., Faun. Sénégamb., i., Mamm., p. 25 (1885); id., t.c., suppl., p. 129, pl. xi. (1887).
Guereza guereza, Trouess., Consp. Mamm., p. 10 (1879.)
Guereza occidentalis, Rochebr.,op. cit., Suppl., p. 140, pl. xiii. (1887).
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 theprovinces 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 ofC. occidentalisis 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 thisColobusconsists of wild fruits, insects, and such like, which it searches for throughout the day only, retiring during the night. "TheColobusMonkey," 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.)
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.
Plate XXXIV.THE WHITE-TAILED GUEREZA.
THE WHITE-TAILED GUEREZA.
THE WHITE-TAILED GUEREZA.
Characters.—Very similar toC. guereza, but "characterised by having the white brush of the tail very much larger and finer than is the case in the true AbyssinianC. guereza. In the latter animal the proximal 12-16 inches of the tail is short-haired and quite black, only the terminal 8-12 inches being white and tufted, so that the white mantle hangs down from the body and hides only about one-third of the black part of the tail." (Oldfield Thomas.) InColobus caudatus, Mr. Thomas adds, only some three or four inches of the base of the tail are black, and the remainder (with the hairs about 20 or 21 inches) is developed into a magnificent white brush, of which individual hairs are from seven to nine inches in length. The hairs of the white body-mantle—washed like the tail with yellowish cream-colour—entirely cover the black at the base of the tail, the white of the latter and of the mantle being quite continuous.
Distribution.—East Africa; very common all round the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, as Mr. Johnston—who discovered the species—reports. On Mount Kenia Dr. Gregory, of the British Museum, during his adventurous and remarkable journey, met with it at a great altitude. It has also been found at Kisongo, south-east of Lake Victoria and in Uniamuezi, where Sir Richard Burton obtained it.
Habits.—The habits of the White-tailed Guereza are very similar to those of the foregoing; but it would appear to be much more of a mountain-loving animal than the latter. A creature so strikingly—even glaringly—ornamented might be supposed to be a very conspicuous object among its native forests. Dr. Gregory, however, has informed the present writer that, notwithstanding its distinctive coloration when examined inthe hand, he found it very difficult to detect it in its home amid the forest-trees at high altitudes, where all the branches are clothed with long grey-beard lichens, with which its fur very closely harmonizes. Mr. H. H. Johnston, in describing Mandara's soldiers, says: "On their heads were crescents made of ostrich feathers, or caps of theColobusMonkey-skin. This last-mentioned animal also supplied them with mantles of long black and white fur, and contributed the heavily-plumed tails which these Çaga soldiers fixed on to that portion of their body where tails should rightly appear, if man had not dispensed with such appendages."
"The 'Polume,' as Dr. Livingstone calls this species, is in Uniamuezi known as the 'Mbega,' and is admired on account of its polished black skin and snowy-white mane. It is a cleanly animal, ever occupied in polishing its beautiful garb, which, according to the Arabs, it tears to pieces when wounded, lest the hunter should profit by it. The 'Mbega' lives in trees, seldom descending to the ground, and feeds upon fruits and young leaves." (Burton.)
THE LANGURS. GENUS SEMNOPITHECUS.
Semnopithecus, F. Cuv., Hist. Nat. Mammif. (1821).Presbytis, Eschsch. Kotzeb. Entdeck. Reis., iii., p. 196 (1821).
Semnopithecus, F. Cuv., Hist. Nat. Mammif. (1821).
Presbytis, Eschsch. Kotzeb. Entdeck. Reis., iii., p. 196 (1821).
The members of this genus have thin and elongated bodies, long limbs, and a very long and slender tail. The head is rounded, and shorter than in the Guenons; the muzzle short, depressed, and but little prominent. The thumb, although shorter than that digit among the Guenons and Macaques, is present in all the species, and forms a good prehensile finger with a flat nail. The hands and feet are long and narrow, andthe finger-nails convex; the great-toe is thick and well-developed. The callosities are small as compared with the Guenons; the fur is abundant, and generally long, soft, and often glossy; and over the eyes they have usually a ridge of stiff hairs projecting in front. The members of this genus, as already observed, have no cheek-pouches; they have, however, a large laryngeal sac formed and situated as described above (p.84).
The skull is round; the eye-sockets large, with a very prominent superciliary ridge projecting over them; the space between the eyes is broad, and the lower jaw is deep. The upper molars are four-cusped, and the posterior lower molar five-cusped.
The Langurs are, when young, good tempered and easily tamed; but when old they become sulky and ill-natured. They live chiefly in forest regions, in troops of considerable size. "This genus is spread over almost the whole of the Oriental region wherever the forests are extensive. They extend along the Himalayas to beyond Simla, where a species has been observed at an altitude of 11,000 feet, playing among fir-trees laden with snow-wreaths. On the west side of India they are not found to the north of the 14th parallel of latitude. On the east they extend into Arakan, and to Borneo and Java, but not apparently into Cambodia. Along the eastern extension of the Himalayas they again occur in Eastern Thibet, a remarkable species (S. roxellana) having been discovered at Moupin (about lat. 32° N.), in the highest forests, where the winters are severe and where the vegetation is wholly that of the Palæarctic region." (Wallace.)
The total number of Monkeys inhabiting the islands of the Eastern Archipelago is, according to the most recent census, as follows: In Sumatra, 12; Banka, 4; Borneo, 14; Java, 5; Celebes, 2; Natuna, Bali, Lombock, Flores, Sumbawa, and Timor, 1 each; the Philippine and Sulu Archipelagos, 1 each.
I. BARBE'S LANGUR. SEMNOPITHECUS BARBII.
Presbytis barbei, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xvi., p. 734 (1847); id., Cat. Mamm. As. Soc. Mus., p. 14 (1863); id., Mamm. Burma, p. 11 (1875).Semnopithecus barbei, Anderson, Zool. Res. Exped. Yun-nan, p. 12 (1878); id., Cat. Mus. Calc., p. 48; Blanford, Faun. Brit. Ind., Mamm., p. 39 (1891).
Presbytis barbei, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xvi., p. 734 (1847); id., Cat. Mamm. As. Soc. Mus., p. 14 (1863); id., Mamm. Burma, p. 11 (1875).
Semnopithecus barbei, Anderson, Zool. Res. Exped. Yun-nan, p. 12 (1878); id., Cat. Mus. Calc., p. 48; Blanford, Faun. Brit. Ind., Mamm., p. 39 (1891).
Characters.—Nearly related toS. obscurus. Hair on the side of the head, and in front of the ears, long, projecting outwards; that on the top of the head long and directed backwards; beard short; face almost nude, bluish-black; lips thinly furnished with short yellowish hairs. General colour of the body everywhere black, except on the shoulders, the fore-limbs to the wrist, the joint of the legs, the back and sides of the head, and tail, which are washed with pale grey. Length of body, 19½ inches; of tail, 29 inches. The adult female is similar in coloration to the male. In the skull the orbits are rounded, and the inter-orbital region elongated. Dr. Anderson observes: "The differences which exist in certain dimensions between the skulls of well-authenticated examples of the two sexes are far greater than are generally found in the same sexes of different species."
Distribution.—Northern Tippera hills; Assam; and Mount Mooleyit, in Tenasserim. Dr. Anderson observed it in the Valley of the Tapeng, in the centre of the Kachin hills in Upper Burma, and in the defile of the Irawaddy.
Habits.—This species inhabits the thick forest, and is found in troops of from thirty to fifty individuals, distributed, according to Dr. Anderson, over three or four high forest-trees overhanging the mountain streams. It is generally tame and fearless.
II. THE BONNETED LANGUR. SEMNOPITHECUS PILEATUS.
Semnopithecus pileatus, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xii., p. 174 (1843); xiii., p. 467 (1844); Wagner in Schreb. Säugeth. Suppl., v., p. 30, pl. xxvi., fig. 3 (1855); Hutton, P. Z. S., 1867, p. 946; Schl., Mus. Pays-Bas, vii., p. 57 (1876); Anderson, Zool. Exped. Yun-nan, p. 13 (1878); id., Cat. Mus. Calc., p. 40; Blanford, Faun. Brit. Ind., Mamm., p. 37, fig. 9 (1891).Presbytis pileatus, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xvi., p. 735 (1847); id., Cat. Mamm. As. Soc. Mus., p. 12 (1863); id., Mamm. Burma, p. 11 (1875).Semnopithecus potenziani, Bp., C. R., xliii., p. 412 (1856).Presbytis chrysogaster, Licht.; Peters, P. Z. S., 1866, p. 429; Blyth, Mamm. Burma, p. 10 (1875).Semnopithecus chrysogaster, Licht.; Peters, M. B. Akad. Berl., 1879, p. 830, pl. iv.b; id., P. Z. S., 1866, p. 429; Blanford, Faun. Brit. Ind., Mamm., p. 38 (1891).
Semnopithecus pileatus, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xii., p. 174 (1843); xiii., p. 467 (1844); Wagner in Schreb. Säugeth. Suppl., v., p. 30, pl. xxvi., fig. 3 (1855); Hutton, P. Z. S., 1867, p. 946; Schl., Mus. Pays-Bas, vii., p. 57 (1876); Anderson, Zool. Exped. Yun-nan, p. 13 (1878); id., Cat. Mus. Calc., p. 40; Blanford, Faun. Brit. Ind., Mamm., p. 37, fig. 9 (1891).
Presbytis pileatus, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xvi., p. 735 (1847); id., Cat. Mamm. As. Soc. Mus., p. 12 (1863); id., Mamm. Burma, p. 11 (1875).
Semnopithecus potenziani, Bp., C. R., xliii., p. 412 (1856).
Presbytis chrysogaster, Licht.; Peters, P. Z. S., 1866, p. 429; Blyth, Mamm. Burma, p. 10 (1875).
Semnopithecus chrysogaster, Licht.; Peters, M. B. Akad. Berl., 1879, p. 830, pl. iv.b; id., P. Z. S., 1866, p. 429; Blanford, Faun. Brit. Ind., Mamm., p. 38 (1891).
Characters.—Nearly allied toS. entellus. Face flattened and black; muzzle long and broad; head without a crest; some long superciliary hairs projecting in front, black; whiskers long, running down to the chin, and projecting outwards and backwards, partly concealing the ears, and of a reddish-yellow colour; beard short, also reddish-yellow; hair on the top of the head longer than on the back of the head and temples, black or dark ashy-grey, washed, especially on the front of the head, with rufous; neck, back, upper part of arm, lower portion of the fore-arm, outside of the thighs, and tail (except the tufted tip, which is black), ashy-grey—all these parts being slightly washed with rufous; hands and feet, black; remainder of the limbs rufous; throat, chest, and fore part of the under surface, richorange-yellow, paler on the hind part of the belly and on the inner side of the limbs. Length of body, 18 inches; of tail, 28½ inches, and with the tuft, 31 inches. Cranium globular; supra-orbital ridges not prominent.
The young have the fur soft, silky, and rather long, and are much paler than the adults, and of a soft delicate grey, yellowish-white taking the place of the rufous colour of the adults. (Anderson.)
Distribution.—Northern Assam, Arracan, Upper Burma, and Tenasserim. Dr. Anderson observed a troop of this species at Tsingu Myo on the left bank of the Irawaddy, at the lower end of the first defile.
Habits.—This species lives in small troops in the forest. When young it is of a mild disposition; but, when fully adult, the males are ill-natured and fierce.
III. THE HANUMAN LANGUR. SEMNOPITHECUS ENTELLUS.
L'entelle, Audeb., Singes, Fam. V., sect. ii., fig. 2 (1797).Simia entellus, Dufresne, Bull. Soc. Philom., i., p. 49 (1797).Cercopithecus entellus, Latr., Hist. Nat. Buff., xxxvi., p. 283 (1809).Semnopithecus entellus, Desm., Dict. Class. H. Nat., vii., p. 568 (1825); Sykes, P. Z. S., 1831, p. 199; Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xii. (1843), p. 169; xiii. (1844), p. 470; Hutton, P. Z. S., 1867, p. 944; Gray, Cat. Monkeys Brit. Mus., p. 14 (1870); Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, vii., p. 60 (1876); Anderson, Rep. Zool. Exped. Yun-nan p. 15 (1878; with full synonymy); Blanford, Faun. Brit. Ind., Mamm., p. 27 (1891).Semnopithecus anchises, Elliot; Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xiii. (1844), p. 470; xvi. (1847), p. 733.Presbytis entellus, Gray, Hand-List Brit. Mus., p. 4 (1843; in part); Blyth.,op. cit., xvi., pp. 732, 1271, pl. liv., fig. 1 1847; id., Cat. Mamm. As. Soc. Mus., p. 11 (1863); Jerdon, Mamm. Ind., p. 4 (1867).Semnopithecus albogularis, Müll. u. Schl., Verh. Nat. Gesch., 1839-44, p. 58 (fide Anderson).
L'entelle, Audeb., Singes, Fam. V., sect. ii., fig. 2 (1797).
Simia entellus, Dufresne, Bull. Soc. Philom., i., p. 49 (1797).
Cercopithecus entellus, Latr., Hist. Nat. Buff., xxxvi., p. 283 (1809).
Semnopithecus entellus, Desm., Dict. Class. H. Nat., vii., p. 568 (1825); Sykes, P. Z. S., 1831, p. 199; Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xii. (1843), p. 169; xiii. (1844), p. 470; Hutton, P. Z. S., 1867, p. 944; Gray, Cat. Monkeys Brit. Mus., p. 14 (1870); Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, vii., p. 60 (1876); Anderson, Rep. Zool. Exped. Yun-nan p. 15 (1878; with full synonymy); Blanford, Faun. Brit. Ind., Mamm., p. 27 (1891).
Semnopithecus anchises, Elliot; Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xiii. (1844), p. 470; xvi. (1847), p. 733.
Presbytis entellus, Gray, Hand-List Brit. Mus., p. 4 (1843; in part); Blyth.,op. cit., xvi., pp. 732, 1271, pl. liv., fig. 1 1847; id., Cat. Mamm. As. Soc. Mus., p. 11 (1863); Jerdon, Mamm. Ind., p. 4 (1867).
Semnopithecus albogularis, Müll. u. Schl., Verh. Nat. Gesch., 1839-44, p. 58 (fide Anderson).
Characters.—Nearly allied toS. schistaceus. Crestless; hair on top of head radiating in all directions; ears large, whiskers short, not concealing the ears; prominent supra-orbital projecting hairs, black; face, ears, hands, and feet black. Head, body, limbs, and tail—which is a fourth longer than the body—pale yellowish-brown, darker on the shoulders and the outside of the limbs; under surface paler.
Female.—Smaller than the male.
Distribution.—According to Dr. Anderson, this species ranges from the Deccan northwards to the south bank of the Ganges; its distribution to the north-west, west, and south being uncertain.
Habits.—"Few, if any, wild animals," observes Dr. Blanford, "afford better opportunities for observation than the Hanuman Monkey of Northern and Central India. Generally protected and looked upon as sacred by many of the Hindu inhabitants, it has no fear of Man, and may be found in groves near villages, or even on the village trees, as often as in the depths of the forest. In many parts of India it is a common occurrence to see these Monkeys on the roofs of houses. They frequently pilfer food from the grain-dealers' shops, whilst the damage they inflict on gardens and fields, renders them a great nuisance to the natives. They feed on fruit and grain, but especially onleaves and young shoots. They live in the high trees of the forest and near to water, or in rocky hills, in moderately-sized troops composed of males, females, young, and infants clasping their mothers. An old male is occasionally found solitary. Two communities often enter into deadly combat for possession of some fruit grove, an interesting account of one of which is given by Mr. J. Hughes in the 'Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal' for 1884." They are at all times very active. "Their voice," continues Dr. Blanford, whose account we have condensed, "is loud and is often heard, especially in the morning and evening. The two commonest sounds emitted by them are a loud, joyous, rather musical call, a kind of whoop generally uttered when they are bounding from tree to tree, and a harsh guttural note, denoting alarm or danger. The latter is the cry familiar to the tiger hunter, among whose best friends is the Hanuman. Safely ensconced on a lofty tree, or jumping from one tree to another as the tiger moves, the Monkey by gesture and cry points out the position of its deadly enemy in the bushes or grass beneath, and swears at him heartily."
The Hanuman is of very tender constitution, and cannot bear up against great changes of climate and temperature and necessarily of elevation; it is, therefore, entirely restricted to the warm lowland regions. There is, according to Captain T. Hutton, no true migration of this species from the upper to the lower districts of Bengal, as has been stated. "I am inclined," writes this observer, "to restrict its range, somewhat loosely perhaps, to between 10° and 25° N. lat. and 75° to 88° E. long., forming with the line drawn across the country from Allahabad to Boondee, a triangular range entirely south of the rivers Jumna and Ganges."
IV. THE HIMALAYAN LANGUR. SEMNOPITHECUS SCHISTACEUS.
Semnopithecus entellus(nec Dufr.), Hodgs., P. Z. S., 1834, p. 95; Ogilby, Madr. Journ., xii., p. 144 (1840).Semnopithecus schistaceus, Hodgs., J. A. S. Beng., ix., p. 1212 (1840); Schl., Mus. Pays-Bas, vii. p. 6 (1876); Anderson, Zool. Exped. Yun-nan, p. 16 (1878; with full synonymy); Blanford, Faun. Brit. India, Mamm., p. 30 (1891).Semnopithecus nepalensis, Hodg., J. A. S. Beng., ix., 1840, p. 1212.Presbytis entellus(nec Dufr.), Gray, Cat. Hodgs. Mamm. Nepal, p. 1 (1846); id., Cat. Monkeys Brit. Mus., pp. 14 and 15 (1870).Presbytis schistaceus, Blyth, Cat. Mamm. As. Soc. Mus., p. 11 (1863); Jerdon, Mamm. India, p. 6 (1867); Blanford, J. A. S. Beng., xli., 1872, p. 32.
Semnopithecus entellus(nec Dufr.), Hodgs., P. Z. S., 1834, p. 95; Ogilby, Madr. Journ., xii., p. 144 (1840).
Semnopithecus schistaceus, Hodgs., J. A. S. Beng., ix., p. 1212 (1840); Schl., Mus. Pays-Bas, vii. p. 6 (1876); Anderson, Zool. Exped. Yun-nan, p. 16 (1878; with full synonymy); Blanford, Faun. Brit. India, Mamm., p. 30 (1891).
Semnopithecus nepalensis, Hodg., J. A. S. Beng., ix., 1840, p. 1212.
Presbytis entellus(nec Dufr.), Gray, Cat. Hodgs. Mamm. Nepal, p. 1 (1846); id., Cat. Monkeys Brit. Mus., pp. 14 and 15 (1870).
Presbytis schistaceus, Blyth, Cat. Mamm. As. Soc. Mus., p. 11 (1863); Jerdon, Mamm. India, p. 6 (1867); Blanford, J. A. S. Beng., xli., 1872, p. 32.
Characters.—Fur long; hair radiating on the crown; hair of cheeks long, hiding the small ears; tail slightly tufted; top and sides of head pale yellow, or whitish; face and ears, palms and soles black; back, sides, outside of limbs, tail, hands, and feet, dark slaty, or greyish-brown, sometimes washed with purple.
Aged specimens are grey or white on the head; young ones often have the feet darker than the adult.
Facial portion of the skull longer and the superciliary ridges less projected forward than inS. entellus. The nasal bones project beyond a line from the supra-orbital ridge to the front border of the pre-maxillaries; inS. entellusthey do not project beyond it.
Distribution.—The Himalayas, from Kashmir to Bhutan from5,000 to 12,000 feet above the sea, this species taking the place in those high altitudes of the lowlandS. entellus.
Habits.—Similar to those of the Hanuman. According to Dr. Blanford, Capt. Hutton has observed it near Simla, at 11,000 feet, sporting amongst the fir-trees that were loaded with snow-wreaths at the time. "But," writes Dr. Anderson, "there is no evidence that any species of Monkey in the Himalaya is naturally resident at those heights at which snow annually lies, as was supposed by Hodgson, and it is the rarity of their occurrence at these high elevations, and during winter, that has directed so much attention to their hibernal wanderings. In the summer, they are much more widely distributed than in the winter, when, as a rule, they are driven to lower heights and into the warmer valleys."
V. THE MADRAS LANGUR. SEMNOPITHECUS PRIAMUS.
Semnopithecus priam, Elliot, MSS.; Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xiii, p. 470 (1844).Semnopithecus pallipes, Blyth, Ann. and Mag. N. H., 1844, p. 312.Presbytis priamus, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xvi., pp. 732, 1271, pl. liv. (1847); xx., p. 313 (1851); id., Cat. Mamm. As. Soc. Mus., p. 12 (1863); Kelaart, Prod. Faun. Zeylan., p. 3 (1852); Jerdon, Mamm. India, p. 7 (1867).Semnopithecus albipes, Is. Geoffr., Cat. Méth. Primates, p. 14 (1851); Gray, Cat. Monkeys Brit. Mus., p. 15 (1870); Anderson, Zool. Res. Exped. Yun-nan, p. 18 (1878).Semnopithecus priamus, Blanford, Faun. Brit. Ind., Mamm., p. 31 (1891); Anderson, Zool. Exped. Yun-nan, p. 19 (1878; with full synonymy).Presbytis thersites, Tennent, Ceylon, p. 132, plate, fig. 1 (1860).
Semnopithecus priam, Elliot, MSS.; Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xiii, p. 470 (1844).
Semnopithecus pallipes, Blyth, Ann. and Mag. N. H., 1844, p. 312.
Presbytis priamus, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xvi., pp. 732, 1271, pl. liv. (1847); xx., p. 313 (1851); id., Cat. Mamm. As. Soc. Mus., p. 12 (1863); Kelaart, Prod. Faun. Zeylan., p. 3 (1852); Jerdon, Mamm. India, p. 7 (1867).
Semnopithecus albipes, Is. Geoffr., Cat. Méth. Primates, p. 14 (1851); Gray, Cat. Monkeys Brit. Mus., p. 15 (1870); Anderson, Zool. Res. Exped. Yun-nan, p. 18 (1878).
Semnopithecus priamus, Blanford, Faun. Brit. Ind., Mamm., p. 31 (1891); Anderson, Zool. Exped. Yun-nan, p. 19 (1878; with full synonymy).
Presbytis thersites, Tennent, Ceylon, p. 132, plate, fig. 1 (1860).
Characters.—Nearly allied toS. entellus. Hair on head indistinctly radiated; back of head crested longitudinally; supra-orbital hairs very long and projecting forward; ears large, not hidden by the whiskers. Fur long; face and ears black; back, sides, outer aspect of fore-limbs, upper part of the thigh, and the tail, ashy-grey, or earthy-brown, sometimes slightly washed with purple; sides of the head, nape, lower half of the thighs, hands, and feet, yellowish, as also the under surface of the body and inside of the limbs. Length of body, 21 inches; tail, 28 inches.
Distribution.—The Coromandel coast of India, ascending to 6,000 feet; Ceylon, from the north as far as the Kandyan hills in the south.
Habits.—The same as those ofS. entellusandS. schistaceus.
This species inhabits the northern and eastern provinces of Ceylon, and the wooded hills which occur in these portions of the island. In appearance it differs both in size and in colour from the common Wanderoo, being larger and more inclined to grey; and in habits it is much more reserved. At Jaffna, and in other parts of the island, where the population is comparatively numerous, these Monkeys become so familiarised with the presence of Man as to exhibit the utmost daring and indifference. A flock of them will take possession of a Palmyra palm; and so effectually can they crouch and conceal themselves among the leaves that, on the slightest alarm, the whole party becomes invisible in an instant. The presence of a Dog, however, excites such an irrepressible curiosity that, in order to watch his movements, they never fail to betray themselves.They may be frequently seen congregated on the roof of a native hut.
The Singhalese have the impression that the remains of a Monkey are never to be found in the forest; a belief which they have embodied in the proverb that "he who has seen a white Crow, the nest of a paddi bird, a straight coco-nut tree, or a dead Monkey, is certain to live for ever." This piece of folk-lore has evidently reached Ceylon from India, where it is believed that persons dwelling on the spot where a Hanuman Monkey,Semnopithecus entellus, has been killed, will die, and that even its bones are unlucky, and that no house erected where they are hid underground can prosper; and Buchanan observes that "it is perhaps owing to this fear of ill-luck that no native will acknowledge his having seen a dead Hanuman."
VI. THE MALABAR LANGUR. SEMNOPITHECUS HYPOLEUCUS.
Semnopithecus hypoleucos, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., x., p. 839 (1841); xiii., p. 470 (1844); Anderson, Res. Zool. Exped. Yun-nan, p. 20 (1878; with full synonymy); Blanford, Faun. Brit. India, Mamm., p. 33 (1891).Semnopithecus johnii, var., Martin, Mammif. Anim., p. 489 (1841); Gray, Cat. Monkeys Brit. Mus., p. 14 (1870).Semnopithecus dussumieri, Is. Geoffr., C. R., xv., p. 719 (1842); id., Descr. An. Nouv. Fam. des Singes, p. 54, pl. xxx.; id., Cat. Méth. Primates, p. 13 (1851); Schl., Mus. Pays-Bas, vii., p. 62 (1876).Presbytis hypoleucos, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xvi. (1847), p. 733.Presbytis johnii(nec Fischer), Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xxviii., p. 283 (1859); id., Cat. Mam. As. Soc. Mus., p. 12 (1863); Jerd., Mamm. India, p. 7 (1867).
Semnopithecus hypoleucos, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., x., p. 839 (1841); xiii., p. 470 (1844); Anderson, Res. Zool. Exped. Yun-nan, p. 20 (1878; with full synonymy); Blanford, Faun. Brit. India, Mamm., p. 33 (1891).
Semnopithecus johnii, var., Martin, Mammif. Anim., p. 489 (1841); Gray, Cat. Monkeys Brit. Mus., p. 14 (1870).
Semnopithecus dussumieri, Is. Geoffr., C. R., xv., p. 719 (1842); id., Descr. An. Nouv. Fam. des Singes, p. 54, pl. xxx.; id., Cat. Méth. Primates, p. 13 (1851); Schl., Mus. Pays-Bas, vii., p. 62 (1876).
Presbytis hypoleucos, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xvi. (1847), p. 733.
Presbytis johnii(nec Fischer), Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xxviii., p. 283 (1859); id., Cat. Mam. As. Soc. Mus., p. 12 (1863); Jerd., Mamm. India, p. 7 (1867).
Characters.—Similar toS. entellus. No crest; hair radiating on crown; back, sides, posterior aspect of thighs and tail dusky brown, darker on the middle of the back; fore-arm, front of thighs, and lower portion of legs, black; head dirty yellow; under surface yellowish-white; face, hands, and feet, black. Length of body, 21 inches; of tail, 32 inches.
Young.—Sooty-brown.
Distribution.—The forests and woods near cultivation along the Malabar coast of India, below 1,500 feet.
Habits.—Same as those of the Hanuman. It is, however, rather more shy.
VII. THE NILGIRI LANGUR. SEMNOPITHECUS JOHNI.
Simia johnii, Fischer, Syn. Mamm., i., p. 25 (1829).Semnopithecus cucullatus, Is. Geoffr. in Bélang. Voy. Zool., pp. 38, 72, pl. i. (1834); Wagner in Schreber Säugeth. Suppl., i., p. 98 (1846); Gray, Cat. Monkeys Brit. Mus., p. 14 (1870).Semnopithecus johnii, Waterh., Cat. Mamm. Mus. Zool. Soc., p. 5 (1838); Anderson, Res. Zool. Exped. Yun-nan, p. 21 (1878; with synonymy); Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind., Mamm., p. 33 (1891); Schl., Mus. Pays-Bas, vii., p. 50 (1876).Semnopithecus jubatus, Wagner in Schreb. Säugeth. Suppl., i., p. 305 (1840); Horsf., Cat. Mamm. E. Ind. Co. Mus., p. 14 (1851).Semnopithecus cephalopterus, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xiii., p. 469 (1844; in part).Presbytis johnii, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xvi., pp. 734, 1272 (1847).Presbytis cucullatus, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xxviii., p. 283 (1859); id., Cat. Mamm. As. Soc. Mus., p. 14 (1863).Presbytis jubatus, Jerd., Mamm. India, p. 7 (1867).
Simia johnii, Fischer, Syn. Mamm., i., p. 25 (1829).
Semnopithecus cucullatus, Is. Geoffr. in Bélang. Voy. Zool., pp. 38, 72, pl. i. (1834); Wagner in Schreber Säugeth. Suppl., i., p. 98 (1846); Gray, Cat. Monkeys Brit. Mus., p. 14 (1870).
Semnopithecus johnii, Waterh., Cat. Mamm. Mus. Zool. Soc., p. 5 (1838); Anderson, Res. Zool. Exped. Yun-nan, p. 21 (1878; with synonymy); Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind., Mamm., p. 33 (1891); Schl., Mus. Pays-Bas, vii., p. 50 (1876).
Semnopithecus jubatus, Wagner in Schreb. Säugeth. Suppl., i., p. 305 (1840); Horsf., Cat. Mamm. E. Ind. Co. Mus., p. 14 (1851).
Semnopithecus cephalopterus, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xiii., p. 469 (1844; in part).
Presbytis johnii, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xvi., pp. 734, 1272 (1847).
Presbytis cucullatus, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xxviii., p. 283 (1859); id., Cat. Mamm. As. Soc. Mus., p. 14 (1863).
Presbytis jubatus, Jerd., Mamm. India, p. 7 (1867).
Characters.—Hair long and glossy, entirely black or brownish-black; hairs of crown and sides of head very long, not radiating, yellowish-brown; lower back and root of tail grey. Length of body, 26 inches; of tail, 30 inches; a very large individual measured, body, 29 inches; tail, 37. (Hornaday.)
Nearly allied to the next species (S. cephalopterus) of Ceylon, andS. obscurus, which inhabits the eastern side of the Bay of Bengal.
Female.—With a yellowish-white patch inside each thigh. (Davison.)
Distribution.—In the thick, sharply circumscribed woods of the Nilgiri hills, south to Cape Comorin, above 2,500 feet.
Habits.—This species lives in small troops of ten to twelve individuals, and is remarkable for the extraordinary leaps it can make. "It is shy and wary, the result," as Dr. Blanford states, "of human persecution. It is very noisy, having a loud guttural alarm cry, used also to express anger, and a long loud call." Jerdon relates "that when the sholas of the Nilgiri range were beaten for game, these Monkeys made their way rapidly, and with loud cries, to the lowest portion, and thence to a neighbouring wood at a lower level. In consequence of the beauty of their skins, and the circumstance that certain castes eat their flesh, these Monkeys are more frequently shot than most of the Indian species: hence their shyness."
VIII. THE PURPLE-FACED LANGUR. SEMNOPITHECUS CEPHALOPTERUS.
Cercopithecus vetulus, Erxl., Syst. Régn. An., Mamm., p. 25 (1777; in part).Cercopithecus senex, Erxl.,t.c., p. 24 (1777); Zimm., Geogr. Gesch., ii., p. 183 (1780); Blanford, Faun. Brit. Ind., Mamm., p. 35 (1891).Cercopithecus kephalopterus, Zimm.,op. et t.c., p. 185 (1780); Bodd., Elench. An., p. 58 (1785); Fischer, Syst. Mamm., p. 17 (1829).Simia veter, Shaw, Gen. Zool., i., p. 36 (1800).Cercopithecus leucoprymnus, Otto, N. Acta. Acad. Cæs. Leop., xii., p. 505, pl. xlvi.bis(1825).Semnopithecus fulvo-griseus, Desmoul., Dict. Class. Hist. Nat., vii., p. 570 (1825); Geoffr., C. R., xv., p. 719 (1842).Semnopithecus leucoprymnus, Desmaret, Dict. Sci. Nat., xlviii., p. 439 (1827); Wagner, in Schreber, Säugeth. Suppl., v., p. 25 (1825); Gray, Cat. Monkeys Brit. Mus., p. 14 (1870).Macacus silenus, var.alba, Fischer, Syn. Mamm., 1829, p. 28.Semnopithecus nestor, Bennett, P. Z. S., 1833, p. 67; Waterh., P. Z. S., 1844, p. 1.Presbytes cephalopterus, Gray, Hand-List Mamm., p. 4 (1843); Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xvi., pp. 734, 1271 (1847); Kelaart, Prodr. Faun. Zeylan., p. 1 (1852); Tennent, Ceylon, p. 5, plate, fig. 3 (1861); Blyth, Cat. Mamm. Mus. As. Soc. Beng., p. 13 (1862).? Presbytis thersites, Elliot MSS.; Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xvi., p. 1271, pl. liv., fig. 3 (1847); Blanford, P. Z. S., 1887, p. 626 (1891).Presbytis albinus, Kelaart, Faun. Zeylan., p. 7. (1852).Semnopithecus cephalopterus, Martin, Mammif. An., p. 482 (1841); Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, vii., p. 51 (1876); Anderson, Rep. Zool. Exped. Yun-nan, p. 22 (1878; full synonymy); Blanford, Faun. Brit. Ind., Mamm., p. 34 (1891).Semnopithecus kelaartii, Schl., Mus. Pays-Bas, vii., p. 52 (1876).
Cercopithecus vetulus, Erxl., Syst. Régn. An., Mamm., p. 25 (1777; in part).
Cercopithecus senex, Erxl.,t.c., p. 24 (1777); Zimm., Geogr. Gesch., ii., p. 183 (1780); Blanford, Faun. Brit. Ind., Mamm., p. 35 (1891).
Cercopithecus kephalopterus, Zimm.,op. et t.c., p. 185 (1780); Bodd., Elench. An., p. 58 (1785); Fischer, Syst. Mamm., p. 17 (1829).
Simia veter, Shaw, Gen. Zool., i., p. 36 (1800).
Cercopithecus leucoprymnus, Otto, N. Acta. Acad. Cæs. Leop., xii., p. 505, pl. xlvi.bis(1825).
Semnopithecus fulvo-griseus, Desmoul., Dict. Class. Hist. Nat., vii., p. 570 (1825); Geoffr., C. R., xv., p. 719 (1842).
Semnopithecus leucoprymnus, Desmaret, Dict. Sci. Nat., xlviii., p. 439 (1827); Wagner, in Schreber, Säugeth. Suppl., v., p. 25 (1825); Gray, Cat. Monkeys Brit. Mus., p. 14 (1870).
Macacus silenus, var.alba, Fischer, Syn. Mamm., 1829, p. 28.
Semnopithecus nestor, Bennett, P. Z. S., 1833, p. 67; Waterh., P. Z. S., 1844, p. 1.
Presbytes cephalopterus, Gray, Hand-List Mamm., p. 4 (1843); Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xvi., pp. 734, 1271 (1847); Kelaart, Prodr. Faun. Zeylan., p. 1 (1852); Tennent, Ceylon, p. 5, plate, fig. 3 (1861); Blyth, Cat. Mamm. Mus. As. Soc. Beng., p. 13 (1862).
? Presbytis thersites, Elliot MSS.; Blyth, J. A. S. Beng., xvi., p. 1271, pl. liv., fig. 3 (1847); Blanford, P. Z. S., 1887, p. 626 (1891).
Presbytis albinus, Kelaart, Faun. Zeylan., p. 7. (1852).
Semnopithecus cephalopterus, Martin, Mammif. An., p. 482 (1841); Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, vii., p. 51 (1876); Anderson, Rep. Zool. Exped. Yun-nan, p. 22 (1878; full synonymy); Blanford, Faun. Brit. Ind., Mamm., p. 34 (1891).
Semnopithecus kelaartii, Schl., Mus. Pays-Bas, vii., p. 52 (1876).
Characters.—Hair of crown not radiating; top of head and nape dusky-brown; back and limbs darker smoky-brown; lower back, base of tail, and upper posterior surface of thighs varying from ashy-grey to greyish-white, washed, in immature specimens, with brown; hands and feet black; supra-orbital hairs black, projecting outwards, extending nearly to the ears; the long and conspicuous whiskers white, concealing the base of the ears, and forming a sort of ruff, encircling the face; chin and throat white. Face purplish-black. Tail beyond the base dark grey, tufted at the tip and whitish. Under surface dusky-grey; inner sides of the thighs anterior to the callosities pale yellow or white. Length of body, 21 inches; tail, 31 inches.
Young.—Generally similar to the parents. A young female from Ceylon examined by Dr. Anderson was uniform pale-yellowish, the top of the head slightly washed with brownish, and the shoulder and mid-back washed with dusky.
A white variety (S. senex) sometimes occurs. "There can be no doubt," says Dr. Anderson, "thatS. cephalopterus,S. ursinus, andS. johniare extremely closely allied to each other"; and indeed it is doubtful whether they are not local races of the same species.
Distribution.—The island of Ceylon.
Habits.—Sir E. Tennent, in his "Natural History of Ceylon," has given the following account of this species:—
"Although common in the southern and western provinces, this Monkey is never found at a higher elevation than 1,300 feet. It is an active and intelligent creature, little larger than the common Bonneted Macaque, and far from being somischievous as others of the Monkeys in the island. In captivity it is remarkable for the gravity of its demeanour, and for an air of melancholy in its expression and movements which are completely in character with its snowy beard and venerable aspect. In disposition it is gentle and confiding, sensible in the highest degree of kindness, and eager for endearing attention, uttering a low, plaintive cry when its sympathies are excited. It is particularly cleanly in its habits when domesticated, and spends much of its time in trimming its fur, and carefully divesting its hair of particles of dust.
"Those which I kept at my house near Colombo were chiefly fed upon plantains and bananas, but for nothing did they evince a greater partiality than the rose-coloured flowers of the red Hibiscus (H. rosa-sinensis). These they devoured with unequivocal gusto; they likewise relished the leaves of many other trees, and even the bark of a few of the more succulent ones.
"A White Monkey, taken between Ambepusse and Kornegalle, where they are said to be numerous, was brought to me to Colombo. Except in colour, it had all the characteristics ofPresbytes cephalopterus. So striking was its whiteness that it might have been conjectured to be an albino, but for the circumstance that its eyes and face were black. I have heard that White Monkeys have been seen near the Ridi-galle Wihara in the Seven Korales, and also at Tangalle; but I never saw another specimen. The natives say they are not uncommon, and Knox states that they are 'milk-white both in body and face: but of this sort there is not such plenty.' The Rev. R. Spence Hardy mentions, in his learned work on 'Eastern Monachism,' that on the occasion of his visit to the great temple of Dambool, he encountered a troop of White Monkeyson the rock in which it is situated—which were, doubtless, a variety of the Wanderoo. Pliny was aware of the fact that White Monkeys are occasionally found in India.
"When observed in their native wilds, a party of twenty or thirty of these creatures is generally busily engaged in the search for berries and buds. They are seldom to be seen on the ground, except when they may have descended to recover seeds or fruit which have fallen at the foot of their favourite trees. When disturbed, their leaps are prodigious; but, generally speaking, their progress is made, not so much byleaping, as by swinging from branch to branch, using their powerful arms alternately; and when baffled by distance, flinging themselves obliquely so as to catch the lower boughs of an opposite tree, the momentum acquired by their descent being sufficient to cause a rebound of the branch, that carries them up again, till they can grasp a higher and more distant one, and thus continue their headlong flight. In these perilous achievements, wonder is excited, less by the surpassing agility of these little creatures, frequently encumbered as they are by their young, which cling to them in their career, than by the quickness of their eye, and the unerring accuracy with which they seem almost to calculate the angle at which a descent will enable them to cover a given distance, and the recoil to attain a higher altitude."
IX. PAITAN LANGUR. SEMNOPITHECUS SABANUS.
Semnopithecus sabanus, Thomas, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (6), xii., p. 230, pl. vii. (head), (1893).
Semnopithecus sabanus, Thomas, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (6), xii., p. 230, pl. vii. (head), (1893).
PLATE XXXV.
Plate XXXV.HOSE'S LANGUR.
HOSE'S LANGUR.
HOSE'S LANGUR.
Characters.—Allied toS. hosii,S. everetti, andS. thomasi. Body, tail, and limbs grey; forehead with a high vertical median crest, commencing on the brow, black, with some white hairs; superciliary bristles long, black, projected forward over the eyes; hairs of the forehead on each side of the crest, flat against the head, white over the whole crown (with a few black hairs), but darker tipped on the back of the head; sides of the face from the orbits to the ears quite black; occipital hairs directed backward, not forward as inS. thomasi. Chin, sides of neck, throat, and chest greyish, not white as in the allied species. Under side of the body and inner side of the upper arms, and the legs to the ankles white, becoming greyer distally; hands and feet shining black; fore-arms to the wrists, and legs to the ankles, grizzled grey, as also the tail, above and below. Skin of face probably flesh-coloured between and across the orbits and round the cheeks, elsewhere black. Length of body, 23½ inches; tail, 30 inches.
Cranium broader and rounder than in the allied species; the ascending process of the maxillary bones articulating with the frontals, shutting out the former bones from the side of the nasals. In the allied species the skin of the face is nearly, or quite, black all over, and the chin, sides of the neck, the throat, and the chest are pure white.
Distribution.—Paitan, N. Borneo. Discovered by the veteran Bornean traveller Alfred Everett.
X. HOSE'S LANGUR. SEMNOPITHECUS HOSII.
(Plate XXXV.)Semnopithecus hosii, Thomas, P. Z. S., 1889, p. 159, pl. xvi.; Hose, Mamm. Borneo, p. 10 (1893).
(Plate XXXV.)
Semnopithecus hosii, Thomas, P. Z. S., 1889, p. 159, pl. xvi.; Hose, Mamm. Borneo, p. 10 (1893).
Characters.—Crown with a longitudinal central crest, the hairs sloping evenly backward, with no reversed tuft of hair on the back of the head; general colour of back, shoulders, outer sides of limbs, and tail (though darker above than below)hoary grey, the hairs being commingled black and white; crest, centre of crown, and nape deep glossy black; all the rest of the head, forehead, temples, sides of crown and neck, cheeks, lips, septum of nose, tufted chin, front of neck, chest, under side of body and the inside of the limbs as far as the middle of the fore-arm and lower leg pure white; hands and feet deep black; face black.
Nasal bones long and thin, the profile quite straight and continuous with the line of the forehead. Length of body, 20½ inches; of tail, 26¼ inches. (Thomas.)
This handsome species differs from all knownSemnopitheciin the marked contrast in colour presented by its black crest and white forehead and cheeks.
Distribution.—Niah, in the Baram district; Mount Dulit, Mount Batu Song: all in Sarawak, Borneo.
Habits.—"The type of this Monkey—the Bangat of the Kayans—was shot," writes Mr. Charles Hose (after whom the species is named), "at a place called Niah, in the Baram district. I have procured several specimens in different parts of the country, but although it is often seen in the low country, I think we must consider it to be a mountain species, which leaves the mountains at certain times in search of fruit. It ascends Mount Dulit to the height of 4,000 feet, but is more common at 2,000 feet. It frequents the salt-springs, which are common in the interior, churning up the mud, and it is at these salt-springs that the Punans procure numbers of specimens with the blow-pipe and poisoned arrows. From this Monkey the Bezoar stones are obtained, being found either in the gall bladder or the intestines. The noise that the animal makes is loud and distinct—Gagah, gagah. The youngresemble the colour of the adult, and are exceedingly pretty little things, but they do not live long in confinement, and would never bear a voyage to England, as they suffer severely from sea-sickness."
XI. THOMAS'S LANGUR. SEMNOPITHECUS THOMASI.
Semnopithecus thomasi, Collett, P. Z. S., 1892, p. 613, pl. xlii.
Semnopithecus thomasi, Collett, P. Z. S., 1892, p. 613, pl. xlii.
Description.—A central occipital crest sloping at first backwards, reversed on the back of the head, black on the crown; with a lower indistinct crest on each side of the white forehead. General colour above dark grey—each hair being partly black and partly white; underneath, white; a black stripe from the upper jaw to the ear, and a black central stripe on the forehead; hands and feet black. (Collett.)
Very old males are darker in colour, with the upper part of the head brownish-black, the front whitish. Old females are smaller; the young are silky and nearly white all over.
Closely related and very similar toS. hosii, but the cheeks do not form a connected white area with the white forehead, the space being broken by a black band from the edge of the mouth to the ear (in the young male and in the female). In the old male the upper parts of the cheeks are quite black. Length of body, 24½ inches; tail, about 32 inches.
Distribution.—The present species was discovered in the Langkat district in the North-east of Sumatra, by Mr. Iversen, a Norwegian traveller in that island, and is named after Mr. Oldfield Thomas, the well-known Mammalogist of the British Museum.
Habits.—These Monkeys live in small companies composed of both sexes, in the highest trees in dry spots of the forest, never descending of their own accord to the ground, norvisiting the rice-fields, as their food appears to consist exclusively of fruits. They may be met with, according to Mr. Iversen, the discoverer of this species, at all seasons of the year in the same parts of the forest. They hardly ever visit the more open places, but keep to the highest tree-tops, and make most astonishing leaps from one branch to another. Those observed were very shy, and, on being perceived, would seek to hide in the leafy tops of the trees, even leaving their young exposed on the lower branches. The mother carries her young one under her belly. The species was often observed in company with the Siamang (Hylobates syndactylus), but not with other Monkeys.
XII. EVERETT'S LANGUR. SEMNOPITHECUS EVERETTI.
Semnopithecus everetti, Thomas, P. Z. S., 1892, p. 582, pl. xli.; Hose, Mamm. Born., p. 15 (1893).(Plate XXXVI.)
Semnopithecus everetti, Thomas, P. Z. S., 1892, p. 582, pl. xli.; Hose, Mamm. Born., p. 15 (1893).
(Plate XXXVI.)
Characters.—Very closely allied and very similar toS. hosiiin size and coloration, but the white is everywhere replaced by dull cream-colour, giving a yellowish wash to the mixed grey of the back and tail; shoulders and middle of back darker; under surface of body and light parts of head cream-colour, instead of white; whole of the forehead and top of the head black, the lower limit of the black passing across the middle of the ear; entire back of neck black; spot in the centre of the forehead above where the eyebrows meet, yellowish-white. The colour of the face, cheeks, and sides of the neck, in contrast to the dark crown, distinguish this species fromS. chrysomelas. Length of body, 21¾ inches; of tail, 25¾ inches. (Thomas.)
"Since Mr. Thomas described this Monkey," writes Mr. C. Hose in his "Mammals of Borneo," "I have obtained several other specimens, ... and the marking is quite constant."