18 



The Living Animals of the World 



Photo by L. Medland f.Z.S.] 



RHESUS MONKEYS. 



[North Finchley. 



This photograph is particularly interesting. It was actually taken by another 

 monkey, which pressed the button of Mr. Medland's camera. 



COMMON BABOON of the menageries is a 

 separate species or only the young of some 

 one of the above-mentioned is not very 

 clear. But about another variety there 

 can be no doubt. It has been separated 

 from the rest since the days of the 

 Pharaohs. It does not differ in habits 

 from the other baboons, but inhabits the 

 rocky parts of the Nile Valley. It appears 

 in Egyptian mythology under the name 

 of Thoth, and is constantly seen in the 

 sculptures and hieroglyphs. 



Equally strong and far more repulsive 

 are the two baboons of West Africa the 

 DRILL and the MANDRILL. As young 

 specimens of these beasts are the only 

 ones at all easily caught, and these nearly 

 always die when cutting their second teeth 

 when in captivity, large adult mandrills are 

 seldom seen in Europe. They grow to a 



great size, and are probably the most hideous of all beasts. The frightful nose, high cheek- 

 bones, and pig-like eyes are the basis of the horrible heads of devils and goblins which Albert 



Diirer and other German or Dutch mediaeval painters sometimes put on canvas. Add to the 



figure the misplaced bright colours cobalt-blue on the cheeks, which are scarred, as if by a 



rake, with scarlet furrows, and 



scarlet on the buttocks and it 



will be admitted that nature has 



invested this massive, powerful, 



and ferocious baboon with a re- 



pulsiveness equalling in complete- 

 ness the extremes of grace and 



beauty manifested in the roe-deer 



or the bird of paradise. 



The natives of Guinea and 



other parts of West Africa have 



consistent accounts that the 



mandrills have tried to carry off 



females and children. They live 



in troops like the chacinas, 



plunder the fields, and, like all 



baboons, spend much time on 



the ground walking on all-fours. 



When doing this, they are quite 



unlike any other creatures. They 



walk slowly, with the head bent 



downwards, like a person walking 



on hands and knees looking for a 



pin. With the right hand 



(usually) they turn over every 



stick and stone, looking for insects, Photo by A _ s , Rutland & sons] 



scorpions, or snails, and these they ORANGE SNUB-NOSED MONKEY. 



Seize and eat. The Writer has Seen This should be contrasted with the Proboscis Monkey. 



