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Monkeys cling to life. That is the sad
part of it. We wanted the specimens, so
did the Museum in New York, yet I must
confess that often after the hunt I felt
a pang of regret. They would hang
head down by the tail, wounded and
bleeding, watching every move that we
made on the forest floor below. Their
strength ebbing, their hold on the limb
gradually growing less secure. At length
the final terrible
plunge would
come, a hundred or
more feet, through
branches that set
them spinning—a
fearful crashing,
the thud of
a broken
body accompanied
by a
h e a r t ­
rending
death cry,
then the
lasting hush
of the dimly
lighted
j u n g l e
frightened
into ghastly
silence. We
s k i n n e d
most of our
specimens where they fell. In the jungle
one does not worry about the disposition
of a carcass. Myriad forces of destruction
set to work almost as the victim
breathes its last. Vultures, by some unknown
sense, soon find the carrion. They
fly high above the trees, whose dense
foliage the human eye cannot pierce, vet
within a few hours of the hunt thev are
gorging and squabbling at the scene of
carnage. There are great metallic horned
beetles, some blue, others red, capable of
burying a large animal unaided. By night
'possums take their share, and in a day
or two, a few clean-scraped bones and
perhaps a bleaching skull are all that
mark the spot.
We saw many other monkeys besides
HUNTING THE HOWLER 387
the Red Howler. Black Capuchins were
occasionally seen in large and small
troupes. One member of our party saw
a mother Capuchin with her baby. She
would allow it to venture out on tiny
limbs, too delicate to bear her greater
weight, where fruit grew r beyond her
reach. The youngster would gather a
luscious handful whereupon the old one
would promptly avail herself of his hardearned
breakfast.
We saw a few
specimens of the
Beesa monkey in
small family
parties. Of these
"old men of the
forest" we learned
very little, owing
to their scarcity.
Sakis were common
in big troupes
and a young one
captured by Indians
and
brought in
\ to lis, became
very
tame and attachedhimself
to Cart
e r, the
A Male Beesa MonV-ey Shot Near Bartica, British Guiana
m a m m a l
man of the
expedition.
The roar of howders carries for miles
through the forest. It is all but impossible
to describe the sound. Starting with
a series of terrific belches, it develops
into a deep-toned roar with the quality
of a lion's voice.
The voice of the howding monkey is
heard more often at night or in the early
morning hours. From our observations,
I should judge that the greater part of
the day is spent in rest or sleep. They
appear also to be more active during the
rainy season than during the hot dry
months of winter. After the rains came,
one was much more apt to run into the
troupes and their voices were heard more
often.