PAKENTAL AFFECTION IN A MONXEY. 507 



From time to time this cautious ' old gentleman ' will inter- 

 rupt the most savoury repast, raise himself on his hind-legs, 

 stand upright like a man, and look about him. A single 

 inimitable gurgling tone of alarm gathers in a moment the 

 troop of his followers ; the mothers recall their young ones, and 

 all are instantly ready for flight ; each carrying with him as 

 much provender as he can. The nearest tree is ascended in a 

 trice, and from this starting point the hurried flight goes on 

 from branch to branch. The expertness of the monkeys in 

 climbing and springing is indeed wonderful, and surpasses that 

 of all other animals. P'or them there is no impediment : the 

 sharpest thorns, the thickest hedges — nothing retards them. 

 The most daring leaps are executed with an admirable ease. 

 Seizing a high branch with its outstretched hand, a monkey 

 will swing himself upon it, a feat which no cat or squirrel 

 can imitate ; or he will throw himself from the summit of a 

 tree upon a branch far below, which bends under the sudden 

 shock of his weight, and then makes use of the recoil to per- 

 form a mighty horizontal bound. While this precipitate flight 

 is going on, the leader still directs the movements of the band, 

 which only relaxes in its haste when he thinks proper. All this 

 time they show not the least signs of confusion, and such is 

 their presence of mind that it preserves them from all danger. 

 In fact they have no enemies to fear but other monkeys and 

 the serpents ; for they easily get out of the reach of the larger 

 beasts of prey, and no bird will attack them, as it well knows 

 that it would be at once assailed by a whole band. Thus a life 

 as void of care as life can be, has fallen to the lot of these free 

 denizens of the forest. 



Brehm relates an affecting instance of parental friendship in 

 a tame male Cercopithecus. Koko (as the monkey was called) 

 had adopted a young one of the same species, still very much 

 in want of his mother's assistance. He treated it with all the 

 affection of a parent, watched over it while eating, and warmed 

 it at night in his arms. He was constantly anxious about its 

 welfare, got uneasy when it strayed away only a few paces, and 

 called it immediately back again at the least apprehension of 

 danger. When Brehm tried to remove it, he got furious and 

 defended his adopted child with all his might. Thus both 

 monkeys lived together several months, when the young one 



