258 NATURAL SCIENCE. April. 



known energy. But it is to Mr. Johnston that we owe our first 

 acquaintance with the mammal fauna of Kihma-njaro, and, as will 

 be seen by reference to Mr. Thomas's list, published in the " Pro- 

 ceedings " of the Zoological Society for 1885 (3), seventeen species 

 of the mammals that inhabit this mountain thus first became known 

 to us. The mammals obtained and observed by Mr. Johnston 

 belonged mostly to well-known and widely-distributed species, such 

 as usually fall into the hands of a first explorer ; but Mr. Johnston 

 made many good notes on the subject (4), and was the discoverer of 

 the fine local form of the Guereza Monkey [Colohiis caiidatus), which is 

 restricted to Kilima-njaro. Mr. Johnston remarks as follows on the 

 monkey life of the district :— 



" During eight months on the Congo, I only saw monkeys twice 

 in a wild state, and that in one place only : and throughout my entire 

 stay of sixteen months in West Africa, I can only remember six 

 occasions on which I actually beheld these animals in a state of nature. 

 On the other hand, I had scarcely left the East Coast to journey to- 

 wards Kilima-njaro when monkeys showed themselves abundantly in 

 the wilds. 



"The first to attract my attention were the baboons, probably 

 the species known as Cynocephalus haviadryas, C. sphinx, and C. baboiiin. 

 They were generally found on the outskirts of native plantations, 

 where they almost subsisted on the maize and other food-stuffs stolen 

 from the gardens of their more highly-developed fellow primates. In 

 the inhabited region of Kilima-njaro, generally known as the country 

 of Caga, baboons were strangely abundant. They were generally in 

 flocks of fourteen to twenty, of all ages, and both sexes. They were 

 so little molested by the natives that they showed small fear of man, 

 and, instead of running away, would often stop to look at me about 

 twenty yards off, and the old males would show their teeth and grunt. 

 1 have frequently seen the natives driving them from the plantations, 

 as they might a troop of naughty boys, and the baboons retreating 

 with swollen cheek-pouches, often dragging after them a portion of 

 the spoil. On one occasion, in a river-bed at the foot of Kilima-njaro 

 my Indian servant, ordinarily a very plucky boy, met a troop of 

 baboons, who, instead of fleeing up into the trees, came running 

 towards him in a very menacing manner, and he was so frightened at 

 their aspect that he took to his heels. The baboons followed, and, but 

 that the boy forded the shallow stream, and put the water between 

 him and his pursuers, he might have had an awkward contest. 1 

 killed a baboon once in Caga, one of a troop who were rifling 

 a maize plantation, and its companions, instead of running away, 

 surrounded the corpse and snarled at me. As I had fired 

 off both barrels of my gun, and had no more ammunition, I went 

 back to the settlement to fetch some of my followers, and upon 

 the approach of several men the baboons ran off. We picked 

 up the dead one and carried it back. It was a female, and apparently 

 young and tender. Out of curiosity, I had its flesh cooked the next 

 day and ate it, hoping in this lawful way to form some idea of the 

 practice of cannibalism ; I can only say that the succulence and 

 quality of this creature's flesh were quite unexceptionable. I have 

 noticed this with most of the species of Old W' orld monkey I have as 

 yet tasted. During my four months' stay in Mandara's country I ate 

 the common Ccrcopithccus constantly, ;ind found it made a very tooth- 



