The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-07
MONKEYS or PANAMA.
An American Describes the Dtnerent
SDcc,cs and Their Habits.

I TO THE EDITOR OF The SuN-cV' =
read with much interest the article en-
titled Amazing Jungle stories of Panama
Monkeys" that appeared In THE SUNDAY
Sun of January 4. | lived In Panama ior
"A year and a half. returning to the uniteu
4 States In September. 1913. MY fatner IL
resident engineer in charge OF all WORK
that the American Bridge Company may
| have on the 1sthmus. We lived for year
at Gatun. and for six months at Ancoh'
the Canal Zone section of Panama CITY,
where my father and mother are now.
! While In the Canal Zone I was unen-
ployed and spent great deal or my time
! in canoeing on Gatun Lake and the NUM-
| erous streams that flow into 1t. i nave
| hunted I'm the forests about the head
waters of the Gatun, Chagres and Trinidad
| rivers. some of these trips extending over
considerable periods of time.
| ON these trips have been enabled to see
more of the Jungle inhabitants and or
bush life" than the majority or Amefi-
cans in the Canal Zone. although few
of the canal workers have spent much
more of their time in the jungle than 1t
| was possible for me to do. Mr.. Edwards
In his article says
There seems to be a common impression
| among Americans on the 1sthmus that the
| Panama monkey IL of one variety only,
namely the small spider monkey that Is so
| common along the banks OF the Gatun and
| Chagres rivers.
| know few Americans in Panama who
| ever entertained that erroneous idea, for
| at least two or three different species or
! monkeys cuou!d be seen In captivity in
| the towns There were, as Mr. Edwards
| said. a few of the large black monkeys
captive. but | had never heard II sug-
gestcd that they came from Africa. on
| the other hand nearly every one knew
| that these monkeys abounded In the jun
gle.
| These powerful monkeys are Congo
| monkeys 6Mycetes palliatus) and are a
| species of huwler They and the red
Ihowler tMycetes seniculus). also found
in Panama occasionally. are the largest
monkeys of the New World and in dispo-
lNtion are allied to the balloons. The dr.
ferent species of howers vary In height
| from eighteen inches to three feet and
| the two above named species are IN
credibly strong and fierce Their fur is
| thick and soft The long tail is heavily
muscled. the under side being bare, and
| the black skin satiny to the touch. The
body and limbs are powerful, the hands
| slender and the nails of perfect shape.
The face is naked, the features well
| formed, the eyes far apart. the ears set
| close to the head, the forehead broad and
high The expression is solemn. often fe-
rucpus. and in the adult males profuse
beard curls out beneath the chin.
| The different species of bowler monkeys
live in tribes, making their homes in lofty
trees They are not often seen, for they
remain quiet among the upper branches
when any one comes near. In the jungle
! at the southern end OF Gatun dam the
Congo monkeys used to congregate. and
because of their resemblance to the black
men Of the West Indies the American
workmen called them Jamaica Mig
gers" when the blasting and other noise
occasioned by the building of the dam
commenced these monkeys retreated fur
ther into the jungle. Many of them. in
company with spider monkeys, live about
the Aqua Clara reservoir at Gatun now
When the Panama Railroad was beins
relocated several years ago troops of
Congo monkeys would gather in the trees
about the labor camps and by their in
Icessant bowling annoy the workmen
making sleep we'll nigh impossible.
Several times when canoeing in the
inundated jungle We have come upon
troops of Congo monkeys marooned In q
group of trees. We have obtained photo
graphs OF them, although the pictu'.
were Of necessity small due to the diff
Guilty OF approaching close to the mon
NryS.
When on hunting expeditions I have
, shot Congo monkeys for the natives. as
they are preferred TO any other food
The monkeys are either boiled or roasted
and the head is considered the greatest
deiicacy. The natives call all monkeys
| mono"
, Going through the forest one will hear
| a piercing shrek. then a long Quverinf
. moan. subsiding in a throaty growl. Thi.
weird sound is the cry OF the Congo mon
key or OF the red bowler II is usually &
solitary male calling to n group of female,
far away. hut sometimes there will be
. fun, tremendous chorus.
Mr.. Ralph Sexton. an inspector for tn,
Isthm'an Canal Commission on the ern.r
| a San
, Congo monkey about thirty inches tall
, He brought 1t In Gatun and tied II he
, heath his Office. The monkey soon be
, came tame and WAS allowed to run a
liberty, 1t never attempted to get away
: hut would sit for hours in different places
about the work
The steel work OF one OF the emergenc,
dams was receiving It's first coat of rec
lead and the monkey climbed to the TOT
and sat baskins IN the sun. While he wa
asleep on the top of a column II wa
painted lie started to come down tn
steel post and slipped on tho wet paint
Catching with feet and tail at everything
In sight. he sid 10 the ground. cover-,
with red lead and bowling dismally. HI
n could never be persuaded TO 20 to the dan
again. and his hair was stained with rec
for months.
i. While no, doubling Mr.. Edwards
! word. II seems 20 me that the account o
!, 1.-the parrots driving off the python" 1
= rather unlikely. 10 say the least II 1
: very possible. however. that the parrot
. do afford protection TO the monkeys b,
. their agitation and screechng At the AZ
= proach OF snake or tiger cat.
My own experience and that OF Ameri
:, cans who do great deal OF hunting 1
. that all small birds, such parrots tou
! cans and trogons. are In deadly fear o
the large serpents. and never defend
themselves In the least ! think that MI
. Edwards means a boa constructor instea,
of a python. for the true python Is no
= found In America, but only in the OF,
- World
!, The spider monkeys are very thick abou
:, the native places in the Jungle. for the
- can steal the fruit from the trees nea
the huts They also love the giganti
y nlspua tree and its sweet green fruit
A white faced monkey (Cebus albifrons
is also common. These animals live les
on vegetable diet and are larger than tn
;. spider monkeys The natives prefer Their
;, as food to any monkey except the Congo
= There are several other monkeys Il
a Panama whose names ] do not know
one, however, is familiar to everybody Of
the Isthmus, that Is. tho marmoset Their
are several species and all are beautiful
and gentle.
The marmosers body is seven or e,gh
inches long. the fur Is brown and soft
y and the gray. hushy tail rnged with blac