2 5 6 THE MINDS AND MANNERS 



Elephants, i; tigers, 1,493; leopards, 3,387; bears, 1,283; 

 wolves, 5,067; hyenas, 1,202; serpents, 117,782. 



The Fighting Spirit in Baboons. In the first analysis, 

 we find that courage is an individual trait, and that so far as 

 we know, it never characterizes all the individuals of any one 

 species. The strongest and the best armed of men and beasts 

 usually are accounted the bravest ones of earth. The defense- 

 less ones do well to be timid, to avoid hostilities and to flee from 

 conflict to avoid being destroyed. It is just as much the duty 

 of a professional mother to flee and to hide, in order to save her 

 own life, as it is for " the old he-one" to threaten and to fight. 



At the same time, there are many species which are con- 

 cededly courageous, as species. In making up this list I would 

 place first of all the baboons of eastern Africa, whom I regard 

 collectively as the most bold and reckless fighters per pound 

 avoirdupois to be found in the whole Order Primates. They 

 have weapons, agility, strength and cyclonic courage. On no 

 other basis could they have so long survived on land in a country 

 full of lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas and wild dogs. 



In order to appreciate the fighting spirit of a male baboon, 

 the observer need only come just once in actual touch with one. 

 A dozen times I have been seized by a powerful baboon hand 

 shot out with lightning quickness between or under his cage 

 bars. The combined strength and ferocity of the grab, and the 

 grip on the human hand or arm, is unbelievable until felt, and 

 this with an accompaniment of glaring eyes, snarling lips and 

 nerve-ripping voice is quite sufficient to intimidate any ordinary 

 man. 



But even in the courage and belligerency of baboons, there 

 are some marked differences between species. I rank them as 

 follows: 



The most fierce and dangerous species is the East African 

 baboon. 



The next for courage is the Rhodesian species. 



The spectacular hamadryas baboon is a very good citizen. 



