ANECDOTES OF THE HAMADRYAD. 6l 



little images of the Hamadryad are to be seen in collections of Egyptian 

 antiquities. The moon was supposed to have a powerful effect on this 

 ape, which was said to hide itself and refuse all food during the dark 

 phase of the moon. It is not now an inhabitant of Egypt, and perhaps 

 even in the days of the Pharaohs was imported. 



The Hamadryad inhabits the mountain ranges of Abyssinia and South 

 Nubia as far north as the rains extend ; water is a necessity for it. The 

 troops at times descend into the foot-hills on the coast, but the bulk 

 remains in the loftier mountains. Here each band occupies a territory 

 of about two miles in diameter. Sometimes herds of fifteen to twenty 

 are seen, but usually they reach the number of one hundred and fifty. 

 Of these there will be ten to fifteen full grown males — monsters of great 

 size with jaws that surpass in strength and length of teeth the jaws of 

 the leopard — and about twice as many adult females. The face is a 

 dull flesh-color, the gluteal callosities fiery red. The hair has the color 

 of dry grass more than anything else. The old males have the mantle 

 very long ; a specimen, shot by Brehm, had hair measuring ten inches in 

 length. This long hair is parted in the middle of the head, rises in bold 

 sweeps to each side and stands out at right angles to the face, an arrange- 

 ment which seems to have been adopted by many negro tribes. The tail 

 is long, and ends in a tuft. Their dwelling-place is some inaccessible 

 rock where caverns or holes afford good shelter, but they make con- 

 siderable excursions in search of food. When undisturbed they keep 

 silence ; the approach of man provokes a cry of attention like the baying 

 of a hound. If the approaching intruder seems dangerous, another cry 

 is raised, more like the grunting of a herd of swine, through which the 

 bellowing of a bull is heard. All the males fit for battle advance to the 

 edge of the cliff and look to see what is coming. They have no fear of 

 the natives, but are suspicious of white men. 



Brehm relates : " When the troop first caught sight of us, a repeated 

 monotonous bellow was heard ; the old ones turned their heads toward 

 us, but the young ones still played about. Our dogs, however, replied 

 to the bellow by giving tongue, and the apes took flight. To our aston- 

 ishment we discovered them again at the next turn of the valley, cling- 

 ing in some inconceivable fashion to a wall of perpendicular rock. We 

 fired at them ; a terrible uproar, bellowing, howling, roaring and scream- 

 ing ensued, and the whole troop ascended the cliff as easily as if they 

 had been on level ground. The dogs came upon them as they were 



