NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



The Samango is larger than the Vervet, and darker 

 in colour. A fine male was captured in the King 

 William's Town district a few years ago, and was 

 kept in captivity at the Port Elizabeth Museum. 



It was calm, self-possessed, and deliberate in its 

 movements, contrasting strangely with the excitable, 

 nervous, fidgety manner of the Vervet. I intro- 

 duced a tame Vervet Monkey into its cage, but the 

 Samango instantly attacked it, and we had much 

 difficulty in saving its life. I then caused another 

 cage to be erected next to that of the Samango, with 

 a wire-netting division, and introduced several 

 Vervets into it. The Samango took little or no 

 notice of them after the first day. Six months 

 later the partition was removed, but although the 

 Samango showed no hostility, he took very little 

 notice of the Vervets, and never entered into their 

 games, or allowed himself to in any way become 

 familiar with them. He would sedately sit on a 

 tree trunk and coldly regard their friendly advances. 

 However, he was master in that cage, and the others 

 were well aware of the fact, for they were careful 

 never to attempt to tease or play tricks with him, 

 as they were continually doing with one another. 

 When the daily allowance of food was put into the 

 cage, the Samango satisfied his appetite first, while the 

 others gibbered and looked on longingly, and waited. 



One day I scattered fruit over the floor of the 

 cage, and a general scramble ensued amongst the 

 monkeys for it. The Samango bit and cuffed right 



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