2G4 FLJRTHER DESCRIPTION OF AFRICA. 



than eighty feet, trying to outdo the chimpanzee in speed, and to 

 capture it in the nets, after which it is easily despatched by lances. 

 When thus brought to bay, the apes defend themselves with 

 savage fury, sometimes snatching the spears from the hunter's 

 hand, and striking out wildly right and left ; and even more danger- 

 ous than this method of defense is the grip of their pointed teeth, 

 and the amazing muscular power of their nervous arms. Here, as 

 in the woods on the western coast, legends are current of their 

 carrying off human beings, and of the curious nest which it is said 

 they build of leafy branches in the crest of the forest trees. 



SMALL APES VERY NUMEROUS. 



We must not omit to mention the smaller kinds of apes; for, 

 although they are very numerous in all the primeval woods of the 

 tropical belt of Africa, they are principally found along the west 

 coast and near the Upper Nile. The name sea-cats, by which they 

 are sometimes known, was given centuries ago to these merest and 

 prettiest specimens of the monkey tribe, because they were brought 

 over the sea to Europe, and because something in their shape 

 resembles the cat. The favorites of the children, the nimble, quarrel- 

 some, amusing inhabitants of our menageries and zoological 

 gardens, which sometimes win from the grave man of science a 

 smile, belong to this category. The greyish green monkey, the slate- 

 colored, white-bearded Diana, the ill-tempered black monkey, the 

 reddish huzzar monkey, and numerous other kinds, are included in 

 this family. 



It is a real pleasure to meet with a band of these monkeys in 

 the forest; it is a wild chaos of busy life, crying and fighting, quar- 

 relling and reconciliation, climbing, running, pilfering and plunder- 

 ing, grimacing and contortion. They recognize no leader of their 

 commonwealth, except the strongest of their race; they acknowledge 

 no law but that enforced by the sharp teeth and strong hands of 

 their chief; they consider that no danger can exist from which he 

 is not able to set them free, they adapt themselves to every position, 

 have no fear of drought or famine, and spend their lives in per- 

 petual activity and merriment. Their chief characteristic is the 



