236 



AS TO BABOONS. 



disturbed them. Sometimes, in climbing the kloofs, or passes of the mountains, 

 travelers will set a troop of baboons scampering before them. If they are fired 

 into, they will retaliate by throwing stones and rolling down boulders on their 

 enemies." "What kind of ba 



boons are met with far 

 ther north?" asked Jack. 

 "The drill and the 

 mandrill belong to the 

 West Coast. Their faces 

 are grooved. The drill 

 is a native of the coast 

 of Guinea, and has an 

 erect, stumpy tail, about 

 two inches long, and cov- 

 ered with short, bristly 

 hair." 



"I shouldn't consider 

 that hardly deserving 

 the name of a tail. What 

 is their color ? " 



"There is a mixture 

 of green in the upper 

 parts, with a light, silvery 

 hue beneath. They wear 

 their whiskers according 

 to the English fashion 

 that is, brushed back- 

 ward, and the slight 

 beard on the chin is 

 orange-colored." 



" If we catch any of 

 them," said Jack, "I'm going to recommend the extensive use of some dye on 

 their beards, for the color don't seem natural." 

 "How about their faces?" 

 " They are naked and black as ink." 

 "What is the size of the mandrill?" 



" About five feet, when fully grown. They are singular-looking creatures, for 

 their cheeks, instead of being black, are of a clear violet-blue, with oblique furrows. 

 Just above the eyes begins a bright red line, and, running down the nose, spreads 

 over the lip. The eyes are small, sparkling, and of a hazel color. The long hair 

 on the side of the head grows upward, ending in a sharp point at the crown. Whcn 

 I add that the long, erect beard is yellowish, and each of the stiff, bristle-like hairs 

 which cover the body has rings of black and yellow, you'll admit that the mandrill 



THE GELADA. 



