12 



SOUTH AFRICAN MAMMALS 



mealie crops. They feed as a rule in the early morning 

 and towards dusk. When encamped with a companion 

 on the banks of the Crocodile Kiver in the Hartebeest 

 Poort (District Pretoria) one moonlight night, we could 

 not get to sleep on account of the Baboons, which came 

 swarming over the kranzes about GOO yards from us, 



Fig. 3. — Chacma Baboon. 



as we lay motionless under the trees. The barks of 

 the adults and the incessant screaming of the young 

 ones was anything but pleasant, and we could watch 

 their every movement, it being a bright moonlight night. 

 When feeding they are in the habit of throwing out 

 sentinels to warn the troop of impending danger. When 

 young they make pleasant pets, being intelligent and 

 confiding, but old animals can seldom be trusted ; they 



