MONKEYS 129 



stalk a herd of these animals is often a futile proceeding ; but 

 if, when you have seen them, you keep quite still, and attract 

 their attention by some unusual noise, such as a continued 

 tapping on your gun-barrel, you will generally have them all 

 round }'ou in a very short time. 



The effect, on the monkey, of man's appearance, is most 

 interesting. The expression of their emotions is certainly 

 almost human, as they sit and stare at him, coughing and 

 snarling with anger and contempt, drawing back their heads 

 and throwing the hand before the face with a gesture of abhor- 

 rence, and other movements indicative of shocked and out- 

 raged feelings. But predominant is the expression of absolute 

 horror, which, coming from those we consider our still degraded 

 cousins, is to our superiority very aggravating. 



A troop of monkeys travelling through the forest and 

 feeding as they move, is also worth watching. Their presence 

 is plainly indicated, even when some distance off, by the crash- 

 ing noise made as they leap from tree to tree. Having reached 

 the extremity of one branch, the monkey, with a swing and a 

 flying leap, conveys himself to another, not alighting as a rule 

 on a bough of any size, but generally coming down on all 

 fours amongst the small twigs, a bunch of which is immediately 

 embraced. 



In their manner of feeding they show a perpetual craving 

 for change, the most fruitful tree not detaining them for many 

 moments ; while for each fruit from which a single bite is 

 taken, half a dozen are plucked and thrown down. 



Crabs swarmed nearly everywhere : scarlet hermits, that 

 dragged about their variously - shaped domiciles in which they 

 shut themselves up and lay inert when disturbed ; and the 

 hideous, purplish land-crabs, that scrambled away waving 

 threatening claws at sight of a stranger. So numerous and 

 rapacious were all these, that a week's assiduous trapping for 

 mammals only produced one specimen, since the baits were 

 always immediately discovered and devoured by the unwelcome 

 and valueless crustacean. 



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