Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-07-27
,t0NKETs.


New York Times.l
Albert S. Bickmore delivered a
i~ ,.ro at the American Museum of
t '.s1 History on Monkeys of the
Wv World" The word monkey, he
had been derived from manakin or
Inn and meant unfortunate little
, ,, In America monkeys are to
' ,snnd on and south Of line between
c;tv of Mexico and Vera Cruz, but
hove that line. The American
~ s,.ovs have broad nose, and their
u.s." .s1s turn outward and downward.
acnIiar species was the tete, only
r. ;nches high, which has two more
A. than any monkey in Africa.
.her was the bearded monkey, so
.o1 because of beard which sur
,n1el his face in fashion made no.
lilo bv celebrated journalist some
deceased. This animal (the
anley) was very careful of his beard,
= never wet it when drinking. He
onll hollow his hand into the form of
ann dip it into and fill it with water,
u then drink from his hand slowly.
lilo with one Of his other hands he
o1,ld carefully press his beard out of
10 vav of contact with any drops Of
alter that might fall. The picture
hovn did not represent as handsome a
IOpkev as one might suppose so fas-
,l;ous monkey to be.
Another odd species was the white
brcatel monkey, and still another,
Hnmboldt's" monkey, discovered by
hat great explorer, and sometimes
allied the negro" monkey, because Of
he curly wool upon its head. Other
ponkpvs had tails so sensitive that when
heir owners We're passing rapidly
trough the forests, dragging their tails
ellind them they could tell instantly
Elen their caudal appendages came
ITO contact with anything good to eat.
Fhese same tails We're very powerful,
nd their owners could hook them over
limb. and, hanging by that support,
fast asleep. If a monkey We're shot
lien in this position he would not fall );
would simply continue to cling there
Until decomposition set in. The natives
loot monkeys with poisoned arrows,
Lich they blow out of long hollow
rcls. When the wounded monkey be-
cHes unconscious from the effects of the
olson, the hunter runs up and puts
bit into his mouth, after securing him,
nd the salt being an antidote for the
|cison, the hunter gets live monkey,
good as new. Natives of the ANA
on eat monkeys. In fact, they are the
hief food supply of large section Of
be people. The meat is said to be
ice and tender and very nutritious.
Tie lecturer related an anecdote of an
Alloiei VIII WIS given ~ ulSll VI
Donkey meat and found 1t excellent.
Fe would have enjoyed the meal, he
|pid had he not been so nervous over
he thought that he might be devorring
ne of his respected ancestors.
The lecturer described in detail the
pecies Of the South American monkey
nown as the "howlers." These monkeys
ravel in groups, and they are very jeal-
MS OF each others abilities as howlers.
Zach group has a champion bowler,
nd when two groups meet one bowler
rom each sits opposite the other, sur
bundled by the rest, and then each
fies to oathowl the other, the respec-
i've groups joining in the chorus. This
lin can DO heard at a distance of from
NO to three miles, and the terror Of q
'rntsman who goes to sleep in the
crest and is suddenly awakened by a
Toup of howlers in the trees above him
IAN be better imagined than described.
Monkeys like bananas better than any
hing else, although they are fond OF
Teen corn, and the breadfr,1it, which
gov abundantly in the luxuriant for
Sts OF South America.