NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



Colonists in South Africa often keep one or more 

 of these monkeys chained up to a pole, with a roost- 

 ing box on top. They make interesting and amusing 

 pets, but their nature is treacherous, and if irritated 

 or annoyed they turn and bite those who feed and 

 pet them. They are very vindictive, and if ill- 

 treated will do their utmost to retaliate. Their 

 teeth are strong and sharp, and the canines are long 

 in fully adult males, and in consequence they are able 

 to inflict nasty wounds. When captured young and 

 kindly treated, they make nice amusing pets until 

 they are about half-grown, when they tend to be- 

 come untrustworthy and capricious in their temper. 



A friend of mine had a pet Vervet for two or three 

 years, and taught it to perform a variety of tricks. I 

 warned him that it would turn on him, but he scoffed 

 at the idea. One day in his absence some mischie- 

 vous boys teased it dreadfully, working it up into a 

 state almost of frenzy. My friend, unconscious of 

 this, came along shortly after, and the moment he 

 got within reach, the monkey sprang upon his 

 shoulder, and before he could beat it off, the en- 

 raged creature had bitten him deeply in the cheek 

 and neck three times. 



The wounds suppurated, and healed with diflS- 

 culty, having to be laid open twice and cauterized. 

 Three months later my friend committed suicide, 

 and left a letter saying that since being bitten by the 

 monkey he had suffered severely from mental de- 

 pression, which had become intolerable. Absorp- 



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