2 44 THE MONKEY TRIBES 



drawn up to give them battle. Of course, they soon discovered that 

 they were only monkeys, and then they laughed at their fright. 



Probably you have already noticed that what we commonly call 

 a monkey has a long tail, which assists him in his movements in the 

 trees, while many of the gorillas or apes have no tails. 



The Baboon. — Of all the wild creatures that dwell amidst the 

 dense forests or rocky fastnesses of tropical lands, none are more 

 interesting than the species of monkeys known as the baboons. 

 Nothing escapes the scrutiny of these most imitative animals ; and 

 they follow faithfully, with a ludicrous gravity that is exceedingly 

 comical to witness, the actions of anyone who- has attracted their 

 attention. Baboons live together in small colonies of one or more 

 families, generally presided over by some hoary-headed, grave old 

 patriarch, who preserves order in his little community by the most 

 summary methods, restraining the juvenile members from any un- 

 seemly tricks, and awing them into silence by the dignity of his 

 presence, assisted in some degree by the infliction of sundry buffets 

 and bites. They are bold and cunning, and frequently commit great 

 ravages in the gardens and corn fields that may be in the vicinity of 

 their accustomed abodes. The plundering parties are formed and led 

 with great skill; sentinels keep watch to tell the busy thieves of the 

 approach of unwelcome intruders, and the fields are stripped of their 

 crops with great rapidity, and the booty carried away. Eatable 

 articles are not the only things that they seize upon. An instance is 

 recorded of a number of baboons having carried an infant off to some 

 neighboring mountains. On being pursued, th^ were found seated 

 gravely in a circle round the child, which was rescued without having 

 sustained any injury. Doubtless they were having a serious consul- 

 tation over the new acquisition to their numbers, and debating whether 

 or not it would make a creditable addition to their family. The 

 baboon is very bold, and fights desperately when attacked. The old 

 males are very savage, and inflict terrible wounds with their long 

 canine teeth, which project considerably beyond the jaws, and have 

 the inner edges sharp as a knife. They strike these into any animal 

 that provokes them, and grasping it with their arms, thrust it away 

 from them, making a long deep gash. Some of the long-armed apes 



