COMMON MARMOSETS.CHAPTER XII.THE MARMOSETS AND TAMARINS.[107]
COMMON MARMOSETS.
COMMON MARMOSETS.
The Dentition of the Genus Hapale, or the Marmosets, or Ouistitis—The Face—The Paw-like Hands and Feet—Their Claws—The Skull and Brain, and the Nature of the Diet—THECOMMONMARMOSET—Its Habits—THECLOAKEDMARMOSET—THEGENUSMIDAS—THETAMARINS—Their Dentition—THENEGROTAMARIN—Its Habits—MIDASARGENTATUM—DEVILLE’SMIDAS—THESILKYTAMARIN—Notes on the Arctopithecini in General
The Dentition of the Genus Hapale, or the Marmosets, or Ouistitis—The Face—The Paw-like Hands and Feet—Their Claws—The Skull and Brain, and the Nature of the Diet—THECOMMONMARMOSET—Its Habits—THECLOAKEDMARMOSET—THEGENUSMIDAS—THETAMARINS—Their Dentition—THENEGROTAMARIN—Its Habits—MIDASARGENTATUM—DEVILLE’SMIDAS—THESILKYTAMARIN—Notes on the Arctopithecini in General
THEsecond division of the Monkeys of the New World is characterised by there bring thirty-two teeth, and the tail is not prehensile. It is generally termed that of the Marmosets, or in scientific language, the Arctopithecini, a word which means Bear-Monkey. There are two genera in this division: the first is that of the Marmosets proper, or genus Hapale; and the second is that of the Tamarins, or genus Midas.
In this genus the thirty-two teeth are so arranged that instead of there being three back teeth, or true molars, on the side of each jaw, they have only two. But there are false molars placed in front of these two crushing molars, and this has a direct relation to the insectivorous diet of the animal. The outer edge of these false molars has one sharp point, admirably adapted to pierce ahard-coated Beetle, or to smash up a grub. The incisor, or front teeth, differ in the two genera. They are long (especially the lower ones), narrow, and are curved outwards, and they stick out forwards from the jaw in the genus Hapale. Those of the Tamarins are short and broad, the lower ones being stuck out and close together. The lower canine teeth of the Hapale, or Ouistitis, are very small, and those of the other genus are larger.
The face of the Marmoset is short, and the broad division between the nostrils, which open widely apart and outwards, is very evident. Very remarkable are the feet, for in these Monkeys the toe-thumb is not widely separated from the other digits, but is close to and parallel with them, so that they resemble the human foot more than the human hand. The insectivorous and carnivorous propensities of these little creatures are shown in the form of their nails, which are claws. They are curved, compressed from side to side, and sharp, except that of the great toe, which is broad. In the hand the thumb is not capable of being separated widely from the other fingers, and it has a sharp claw on it, so the resemblance to a true hand is small, and the likeness to a “paw” is great; and to conclude this part of the subject, the soles are much longer than the toes. Hence, with paws and long feet with claws, these little creatures, which have been termed Hapale—from ἁπαλός (soft, gentle)—are not unlike Bears in their extremities, and have been called Bear-Monkeys, orArctopithecini. The intelligence of these Monkeys is certainly not very great, hence the examination of their brain is sure to be interesting, for one would expect that it could not be like that of the intelligent Cebus, or even that of the Spider Monkey. The mouth appears to be large, and it really has a wide gape.
1. HAND-BONES OF MARMOSET.2. FOOT-BONES OF MARMOSET.
1. HAND-BONES OF MARMOSET.
2. FOOT-BONES OF MARMOSET.
First, then, the skull is remarkable for the relative size of the brain-case, and the back part projects far behind. The outside of the skull is smooth and rounded, and the brow-ridges are very slight, the orbits being large. Inside, and accommodating itself to this long head, is a very long brain, whose back part projects past the cerebellum. But this is not all the unusual part of it, for instead of there being convolutions, or packings-in of the surface of the brain, it is almost smooth, the great fissures being alone marked. Here, then, is the lowest form of brain yet noticed in the Quadrumana, and it approaches to the form seen in the lower animals. What the great back part of the brain-case means is hardly yet known, but if it refers to the affections it will render the story told by Broderip all the more valuable. He says that a lady kept two of these Marmosets, and that she was impressed with their great affection for each other. “They had no family, but they were very happy, and were all in all to each other. One of them unfortunately died. The other seemed to be unwilling to believe the change that had taken place, and continued to caress the body, until it became absolutely necessary to remove it. Everything was done to console the widow that its fond and distressed mistress could think of, but as soon as its mate was taken away the poor widowed creature pressed its little hands to its eyes, refused to be comforted, and remained pining in that attitude till death relieved it of its sufferings.”
The teeth and claws indicate a carnivorous or insectivorous diet in these Monkeys, and the brain does not deny it, and many anecdotes may be told of their love of something alive. Every one may see the Marmosets at the Zoological Gardens making usually very successful dashes at flies with their fingers, and enjoying their tiny prey; and there is little doubt that the following story is true:—One of them, which was kept by the “Sage Femme” of the Royal Family about a hundred years since, took a great fancy to fish, and made a dash at a Goldfish he saw swimming round and round in its globe. He caught it, and ate it, so the lady observing his fondness for something lively gave him an Eel, and as the little Monkey was not more than eight or nine inches in length without his tail, this lively gift frightened him at first by twisting round his body and neck; but he soon killed it, and enjoyed the treat.
These little, gentle, pretty creatures, usually so readily tamed, are made great pets of, and attract much attention in all collections of animals, and one kind has been often brought from the tropical woods of the Brazils and kept in England, so that its habits during captivity have been watched from birth until death in adult age. Many years since F. Cuvier had some of the common Marmosets born whilst under his care, and he watched them and their parents well. The young ones had their eyes open on coming into the world, and their skins were covered with very smooth hair of a deep grey colour, but which was scarcely perceptible on the tail. They instantly crept into their mother’s nice warm fur, and clung on with their little hands and feet, and they attracted the intense admiration and curiosity of the father and mother, who were in the same cage. There were three little ones, and the mother indeed did not know what to do with them. Broderip suggests that what followed was because the lady Ouistiti had no experienced female friend to direct her in her first confinement. At any rate, the mother seized the first by the head, and proceeded to bite this important part of the body off, and, luckily for the other two, whilst she was thus finishing off her offspring, they managed to get to her breasts, and to begin to suck. From that moment she bestowed upon them the natural attention of a parent, and became all affection. The father was even more affectionate than the mother, and assisted most assiduously in the nursing department. The favourite position of the young ones was upon the back and bosom of the mother, and when she was tired of nursing she would come up to her mate with a shrill cry, which Broderip writes said as plainly as any one could speak, “Here, do take the children!” He immediately stretched forth his hands, and placed the little ones on his back, or under his body, where they held on whilst he carried them about, and amused them. At last they used to get hungry, and whined for their mother, who took them, and after having nursed them returned them to their “papa.” In fact, the father did all the hard work, and the mother merely fed them. In this instance this domestic happiness was cut short, for the mother was weakly, no wet-nurse was to be had, and the little ones sank and died. In their native state they lead an arboreal life, and assemble in groups of six or seven, climbing up the tallest trees, and jumping from bough to bough, showing the greatest activity, like and greater than that of Squirrels. So rapidly do they move from branch to branch, and from tree to tree, that the eye fails to follow them readily. They are recognised at once by their long tuft of whitish hair, which sticks out from the side of the head, and almost hides the ears. The size of the whole animal is about that of a small Squirrel, and the tail is very long, bushy, and prettily marked with alternate rings of ash-colour and of black fur. The head is small, the eyes are gentle-looking, and the nose is flat, the face being black. The fur of the body is darkish brown, with different shades of colour for each hair, which is dusky at its root, reddish in the middle, and grey at the tip. There are very different stories told regarding their intelligence and affection. Some naturalists assert that they are incapable of affection towards man, even to the hand that feeds them. Swainson says “it mistrusts all, and treats as indifferently those whom one would think it well knew and those who are strangers; neither does it show much intelligence, although it is attentive, and suspicious of everything that is passing. When under the influence of fear it strives to conceal itself, uttering a short but piercing cry; at other times it hisses.” The name Ouistiti has been given to this Monkey, and the Portuguese of the Amazon districts called it the Sanglain, whilst Europeans term it a Marmoset.
The word “humerale” is to be translated a part of the harness on the shoulders, or a graduate’s cloak, according to an old Latin dictionary, and thus far a fit name has been given to a little Monkey thus noticed by Mr. Bates in his work on the Amazons:—
“I saw in the woods on one occasion a small flock of Monkeys. They belonged to a very pretty and rare species, a kind of Marmoset, I think theHapale humeraliferdescribed by Geoffroy St. Hilaire. I did not succeed in obtaining a specimen, but saw a living example afterwards in the possession of a shopkeeper, at Santarem. It seems to occur nowhere else except in the dry woods bordering the campos in the interior parts of Brazil. The colours of its fur are beautifully varied; the fore part of the body is white, with the hands grey; the hind part black, with the rump and underside deadish-tawny; the tail is banded with grey and black. Its face is partly naked, and flesh-coloured, and the ears are fringed with long hairs. The specimen was not more than eight inches in length, exclusive of the tail. Altogether I thought it the prettiest species of its family I had yet seen. One would mistake it at first sight for a kitten, from its small size, varied colours, and the softness of its fur. It was a most timid creature, screaming and biting when any one attempted to handle it. It became familiar, however, with the people of the house a few days after it came into their possession. When hungry or uneasy it uttered a weak, querulous cry, a shrill note, which was sometimes prolonged so as to resemble the stridulation of a Grasshopper.”
The Tamarins have the upper front teeth placed close together; and the lower, which are broad and truncated, project forwards. The lower canines are longer and larger than in the Marmosets. Living in the forests of the Isthmus of Panama, Peru, and of the Brazils, they sometimes collect in troops. They are very restless, active, and probably indulge in a very mixed diet of fruit, eggs, insects, and small birds. The smaller they are the more violent are they in their gesticulations and rage. They appear, when annoyed, bristling up their hair in a very fierce manner. They are, however, easily tamed, and are made great pets of by the natives.
Bates gives some interesting details regarding the little Midas, or Tamarin Monkeys, which he saw during his long residence on the Amazons. He writes:—
“They are small in size, and more like Squirrels than true Monkeys in their manner of climbing. The nails, except those of the hind thumbs, are long and claw-shaped, like those of Squirrels, and the thumbs of the fore extremities, or hands, are not opposable to the other fingers. I do not mean to convey that they have a near relationship to Squirrels, which belong to the Rodents, an inferior order of Mammals; their resemblance to those animals is merely a superficial one. The body is long and slender, clothed with soft hair, and the tail, which is nearly twice the length of the trunk, is not prehensile. The hind limbs are much larger in volume than the anterior pair. TheMidas ursulusis never seen in large flocks; three or four is the greatest number observed together. It seems to be less afraid of the neighbourhood of man than any other Monkey. I sometimes saw it in the woods which border the suburban streets, and once I espied two individuals in a thicket behind the English Consul’s house at Nazareth. Its mode of progression along the main boughs of the lofty trees is like that of the Squirrels; it does not ascend to the slender branches, or take wonderful flying leaps like those Monkeys whose prehensile tails and flexible hands fit them for such headlong travelling. It confines itself to the larger boughs and trunks of trees, the long nails being of great assistance to the creature, enabling it to cling securely to the bark, and it is often seen passing rapidly round the perpendicular cylindrical trunks. It is a quick, restless, timid little creature, and has a great share of curiosity, for when a person passes by under the trees along which a flock is running, they always stop for a few moments to have a stare at the intruder. In Para, theUrsulusis often seen in a tame state in the houses of the inhabitants. When full grown it is about nine inches long, independently of the tail, which measures fifteen inches. The fur is thick, and black in colour, with the exception of a reddish-brown streak down the middle of the back. When first taken, or when kept tied up, it is very timid and irritable. It will not allow itself to be approached, but keeps retreating backwards in a querulous humour, uttering a twittering, complaining noise, its dark, watchful eyes, expressive of distrust, observant of every movement which takes place near it. When treated kindly, however, as it generally is in the houses of the natives, it becomes very tame and familiar. I once saw one as playful as a kitten, running about the house after the negro children, who fondled it to their hearts’ content. It acted somewhat differently towards strangers, and seemed not to like them to sit on the hammock which was slung in the room, leaping up, trying to bite, and otherwise annoying them. It is generally fed onsweet fruits, such as the banana, but it is also fond of insects, especially soft-bodied Spiders and Grasshoppers, which it will snap up with eagerness when within reach. The expression of countenance in these small Monkeys is intelligent and pleasing. This is partly owing to the open facial angle which is given as one of 60°; but the quick movements of the head, and the way they have of inclining it on one side when their curiosity is excited, contribute very much to give them a knowing expression. Anatomists who have dissected species of Midas tell us that the brain is of a very low type, from there being few convolutions, the surface being as smooth as that of a Squirrel’s. I should conclude, at once, that this character is an unsafe guide in judging on the mental qualities of these animals. In mobility of expression of countenance, intelligence, and general manners, these small Monkeys resemble the higher Apes far more than they do any rodent animal with which I am acquainted. On the Upper Amazon I once saw a tame individual of theMidas leoninus, a species first described by Humboldt, which was still more playful and intelligent than the one just described. This rare and beautiful little Monkey is only seven inches in length, exclusive of the tail. It is namedleoninuson account of the long brown mane which depends from the neck, and which gives it very much the appearance of a diminutive Lion. In the house where it was kept it was familiar with every one; its greatest pleasure seemed to be to climb about the bodies of different persons who entered. The first time I went in it ran across the room straightway to the chair on which I sat down, and climbed up to my shoulder. Arrived there it turned round and looked into my face, showing its little teeth, and chattering, as though it would say, ‘Well, and how do you do?’ It showed more affection towards its master than towards strangers, and would climb up to his head a dozen times in the course of an hour, making a great show every time of searching there for certain animalculæ. Isidore Geoffroy St. Hilaire relates of a species of this genus, that it distinguished between different objects depicted on an engraving. M. Audouin showed it the portraits of a Cat and a Wasp. At these it became much terrified; whereas,at the sight of a figure of a Grasshopper or Beetle, it precipitated itself on the picture, as if to seize the objects there represented.“
Bates is the authority for the following short notice of this pretty Monkey:—“The little Tamarin is one of the rarest of the American Monkeys. I have not heard of its being found anywhere except near Cameta. I once saw three individuals together running along a branch in a cacao grove near Cameta. They looked like white kittens. In their motions they resembled precisely theMidas ursulusalready described. I saw afterwards a pet animal of this species, and heard that there were many so kept, and that they were esteemed as choice treasures. The one I saw was full-grown, but it measured only seven inches in length of body. It was covered with long white silky hairs, the tail was blackish, and the flesh nearly naked and flesh-coloured. It was a most timid and sensitive little thing. The woman who owned it carried it constantly in her bosom, and no money would induce her to part with her pet. She called it ‘Mico.’ It fed from her mouth, and allowed her to fondle it freely, but the nervous little creature would not permit strangers to touch it. If any one attempted to do so it shrank back, the whole body trembling with fear, and its teeth chattered, whilst it uttered its tremulous frightened tones. The expression of its features was like that of its more robust brother, theursulus; the eyes, which were black, were full of curiosity and mistrust, and it always kept them fixed on the person who attempted to advance towards it.”
DEVILLE’S MIDAS. (From theProceedings of the Zoological Society.)
DEVILLE’S MIDAS. (From theProceedings of the Zoological Society.)
This pretty Monkey is plentiful everywhere on the Peruvian Amazons, but is extremely delicate in constitution. It will not bear the least cold, and it is kept with great difficulty. The Indian women make great pets of them, and put them into the long hair on their heads. They are thus kept warm, and are not without interesting occupation. Having become tame they frequently hop out of their odd home and feed, or having captured a Spider or two, scamper back and hide under the luxuriant crop of their owners, who are generally unwilling to part with them.
This is one of the prettiest of the Tamarins, and has long silky fur and soft yellow hair. This is arranged like a mane around the neck and face, near to which its tint is redder than usual, and, to make a contrast, the face itself, and also the hands and feet, are dark purple. The beauty of the hair is very striking, and when the sun shines upon it there is a great display of colour, and a rich gloss over all. Like all the Tamarins, it has a tail about the same length as the body, which is not prehensile, but it is in this instance tufted at the end. The habits are pretty evident when the sharp, claw-like nails are examined. They are admirably adapted for seizing and killing small birds and insects, as well as for assisting the hands to hold fruit.
SKULL OF MARMOSET.
SKULL OF MARMOSET.
In the Brazilian forests they assemble in small parties, and, like the other Marmosets, bound from tree to tree, and keep up a great chattering and whistling, and they cry out with alarm, and soon disperse on the appearance of man within their usual haunts. This fondness for being high up in the woods is carried into their captivity, where they prefer having their little nest up at the top of the cage. In descending from this favourite spot they usually climb down backwards, the tail hanging down. They do not try to stand erect, and, indeed, the position is not natural to them.
They like to be caressed and fondled, but they give no such return, and they know those who are kind to them. They dislike strangers usually, and hiss at them. They are very delicate in Europe, as they require a constant high temperature. Cuvier states that these Monkeys have an air sac in the throat, resembling in situation that of the Spider Monkey (Ateles paniscus).
The Arctopithecini, as a group, have a smooth and rounded skull, large orbits, small brow-ridges, and a large brain-case. The skull is large behind, and the opening for the spinal cord (foramen magnum) is atthe junction of the hind third with the two fore thirds of the length of the brain. They have numerous vertebræ in their back-bone, and those in the back and loins number usually nineteen. It is stated by Cuvier that there is an air sac in the neck of theMidas ursulus, which communicates with the organ of voice through a space between two of its cartilages. It appears that the hands and feet of the Marmosets have thumbs and toe-thumbs so slightly separable from the fingers and toes that the resemblance to “feet” is decided. This is increased by the fact that the thumbs have claws on them, and the toe-thumb is the only digit with a flat nail, all the rest having claw-like ones. The thumb is really not opposable, but nevertheless the muscles are there to give it movement; the opponens muscle of the thumb is doubtfully present, but the adductors, abductor, and long and short flexors are all there. There is much union of the deeper muscles of the fingers, indicating less independence of movement. In the foot the toe-thumb has no special abductor, and the transversus pedis is absent.