90- PYGATHRIX 



less sportive, and also less quarrelsome. His behavior is more in 

 accordance with the extreme gravity of his appearance. 



"The female Hanuman is said not infrequently to have twins, 

 although one young at a time is the rule, as throughout the order. 

 The period of gestation does not appear to have been ascertained, 

 nor the age at which these monkeys become adult." 



This species often goes in large flocks and evinces no fear what- 

 ever of man, caused by the immunity it enjoys from all persecution. 

 The present writer has met old males in the parks of the towns of 

 northern India sedately walking about, inspecting the flower beds, 

 and scrutinizing the people passing by, as if each was an habitue 

 himself of the grounds. Once he went to a large tank a few miles from 

 Ahmenabad, especially to see this monkey, for he had been told that 

 there were large numbers in the vicinity, and he brought with him, 

 his daughter accompanying him, a quantity of grain. Arriving at 

 the tank, no monkeys were visible, and we took our stand near a 

 small grove of trees near the water. Beyond was an open plain on 

 the farther side of which was a forest. The man with us uttered a 

 loud somewhat plaintive call, and after it had been twice or thrice 

 repeated we saw the monkeys come galloping across the plain in a 

 large drove, with their long tails elevated above their backs, leaping 

 and racing at a considerable speed. The females carried their young 

 beneath their bodies, the little ones holding firmly to their mothers' 

 hair with hands and feet. They soon came to where we had taken 

 our position and surrounded us. Monkeys seemed everywhere, and 

 they came close to us and sat down, their little black wizened faces, 

 surrounded by their ridiculous whiskers, with the peaked hair over 

 the forehead, were raised expectantly to ours. Pouring some grain into 

 his hand the writer stooped down and held it out to the one closest 

 to him, when with exceeding gravity and good manners the creature 

 placed one of its hands beneath his and with the other took the 

 grain and commenced to eat, doing this sedately and with perfect 

 composure as if we had been lifelong intimates and were accustomed 

 to visit each other every day. Some of the young ones, too large to 

 be carried by their mothers, were shy, and climbed to the lower 

 branches and watched us, but could not be coaxed to come down and 

 get the grain. There was no crowding or jostling among them, 

 though occasionally two males would indulge in a boxing match during 

 which their hands were employed with much skill, and several 

 resounding whacks were given on the sides of the head. They would 

 grasp the lady's skirt with one hand, as if fearful she might get 



