Monkeys I Have Met 



to the ordinary brown muddy - complexioned 

 representatives of the species. Yet there must 

 be some reason why these blonde monkeys do 

 not increase in the wild state. Perhaps the 

 colour is not hereditary, or, more possibly, there 

 is some inherent delicacy of constitution which 

 is adverse to them in the conditions of wild life. 

 It certainly seems to be the case that the blonde 

 type of humanity is less resistant to certain in- 

 fluences than the dark. 



Young rhesus monkeys are captured in num- 

 bers for the European market by the simple 

 expedient of placing some food under a basket 

 propped up by a peg to which a string is at- 

 tached ; but, of course, old specimens are not 

 to be so easily made a prey of. 



We had a female Bunder with her baby in the 

 Calcutta Zoo in my time, which were a con- 

 stant source of amusement ; but I have never 

 had such a good opportunity of studying monkey 

 maternity as has been afforded recently by the 

 birth of a young one in January 1906 at our 

 Zoo, the parents being of a species closely 

 allied to Macacus rhesus, the Japanese monkey 

 {Macacus speciosus). Young monkeys are not 

 infrequently born in captivity, but at the Zoo 

 they are usually secluded for a time in the 

 monkey-house. But this Japanese pair, being 



hardy animals, have always lived outdoors, at 



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