MONKEYS 265 



them. Their appearance and habits, and the 

 amount of mischief that they do are enough to 

 arouse hatred even in the most animal-loving mind. 

 They are specially obtrusive in the towns of Banaras 

 and Mathura, and in the latter one may always 

 derive some amusement from the study of their 

 behaviour at the ghat on the Jamna at which the 

 sacred river-tortoises are fed with doles of gram 

 and other vegetables provided by the piety of 

 pilgrims. When a store of food is thrown into the 

 water, the tortoises come to the surface in such 

 crowds that their backs form a more or less con- 

 tinuous raft extending for yards out into the stream 

 in front of the steps, and intercepting a good deal 

 of the materials intended for them. A tempting 

 bait is thus provided for the monkeys, who are 

 always swarming on the neighbouring buildings, 

 and who troop down to venture boldly out on the 

 moving mass, keeping a sharp look-out for the 

 vicious snaps of the reptilian beaks, and quite un- 

 deterred by the fact that the loss of a limb every 

 now and then attends these risky exploits. 



In the suburbs of Calcutta one is occasionally 

 favoured by visits from monkeys who are not 

 natives of the place, but who have either escaped 

 from captivity or are allowed by their owners to 

 roam at large. So long as the visitor is a Hoolock, 

 Hylobates hoolock, it would take a hard heart not 

 to welcome him. Fortunately, they are usually 



