SOURCE: "The Hothouse World" by Arthur K. Barnes   (Thrilling Wonder Stories, October 1937)

DESCRIPTION: "Perhaps half of the colony was in constant motion, scrambling round and round the huge bole of the tree, up and down, popping in and out of their holes out along the mighty frondlike branches and back frantically. The others simply sat watching in solemn indifference, occasionally opening their pouting lips to ask sorrowfully—“Murri? Murri? Murri?” They were well named. Though soft and grayish-brown, with scanty hair growth on their backs, their size and antics did resemble terrestrial simians. With their tremendous nasal development, they looked much like the Proboscis monkey...The first was the presence of short, prehensile tail equipped with a vicious-appearing sting near the tip. “Only a weak defensive mechanism,” Strike explained, “a Murris live almost exclusively on the datelike fruits of the tree they live in. The sting's no worse than a bee sting.” He extended one knotty forearm, showing a small pockmark where he had once been stung.
The second was the large brown eyes possessed by the Murri which stared at the intruders unblinkingly with a heart-wringing hypnotic expression of sorrow. “They look as if they'd seen all the trouble and woe in the Universe,” Barrows said. “Makes me feel like a louse to take them away from their home!” The third was a heap of strangely incongruous junk piled at the base of the big tree. There were cheap clocks, gewgaws, matches, children's fireworks, odds and ends." ("The Hothouse World" by Arthur K. Barnes)

NOTES: The Murri resemble space explorer Sidney Murray, who also has a large nose. Murray named the creatures after himself. The Venusian natives worship Murray as a god and thus also the Murri. They leave offerings at the base of the Murris' trees. Attempts to remove the Murri from their colony always results in the captivers killing themselves, either with their stingers or by starvation.

HISTORY: Barnes' tale is remonscient (in a good way) of the planetary tales of Stanley G. Weinbaum. His Venus has been well-thought out. See also The Rotifer,The Shovel-Mouth, The Venusians, The Whip, and Whiz-Bang Beetles.