-^ 



THE APES AND MONKEYS. 



see how, after every shot, the entire troop clung to 

 the rock as if they thought the report alone was 

 enough to precipitate them into the abyss. I believe 

 that none of them was hurt. Still it seemed that 

 fright had deprived them of their customary cool- 

 ness and presence of mind, and at the next bend of 

 the road we met the troop traversing the valley, 

 trying to gain the opposite heights. A number had 

 already succeeded in crossing, but the main portion 

 were yet behind. Our Dogs were first startled at 

 the spectacle, but then with a joyous bark rushed at 

 the enemy. The scene we now beheld was a rare 

 one. As soon as the Dogs made their attack all the 

 adult males hurried forward, formed a circle around 

 the Dogs, roared and showed their teeth, beat the 

 earth with their fore-paws, and regarded their ad- 

 versaries with such flashing, furious eyes, that the 

 horrified animals shrank back and tried to gain our 

 protection. We encouraged them to again proceed 

 against the enemy, but when we succeeded in reviv- 



WANDEEOO. This strange looking creature, which is very cunning and active, has soft and dull 



eyes and a long, black muzzle, which peer out from a great ruff, and beard of gray or white color. The 

 body and tail are a deep black. The Wanderoo lives along the Malabar coast, and has been introduced 

 into Ceylon. It is easily domesticated, but does not long survive a residence in temperate climates. {Cyno- 

 cephalus silenus.) 



ing their bravery, the aspect of things had changed, 

 for the greater part of the Baboons had gone. Only 

 a few of them were yet in the valley, and among 

 them a half-grown Hamadryas. With a shriek it 

 fled to the rock, and here our Dogs laid siege to it. 

 We flattered ourselves that we would be able to cap- 

 ture the animal, but it was not to be Proudly, 

 slowly and with much dignity, paying not the 

 slightest attention to us, one of the strongest males 

 made his appearance, and, casting looks at the 

 Dogs, the meaning of which these latter were at no 

 loss to understand, he ascended the rock, coaxed the 

 young one to him, and with it made his way back, 

 walking close to the Dogs, which were so dumb- 

 founded that they let him completely alone. The 

 courageous deed of the patriarch made such an im- 

 pression on us that we forbore to hinder his re- 

 treat, though we might easily have shot him. 



Tenacity, Boldness On other hunts I made a closer 



and Fierceness of acquaintance of the Hamadryas, 

 Hamadryas. anf j learned of the wonderful te- 

 nacity with which they cling to life. If in shoot- 



ing our bullets failed to take effect in the head or 

 in the heart, they were always lost to us, for how- 

 ever badly wounded they were still strong enough 

 to .escape. Small shot had no effect at all ; they 

 would simply rub the wounded place with their 

 hands and proceed on their way. 



Since I have seen the animals in the wild state, I 

 do not think it at all improbable that they would, in 

 case of danger, attack a Man, unprovided with fire- 

 arms, as the Arabs and Abyssinians, and several good 

 observers, notably Ruppell and bchimper tell us. No 

 experience of my own goes to prove this fact, but 

 we have seen that even from well-armed people the 

 Hamadryas beat a by no means hasty retreat, and 

 which is accomplished under a very formidable 

 showing of teeth and a loud roaring. Schimper told 

 me that the Hamadryas not only attacked but easily 

 killed Man, and that old males were known, with- 

 out any provocation, to have killed young women 

 gathering wood. Ruppell also says that this hideous 

 looking Monkey must be 

 counted among the most dan- 

 gerous enemies of mankind. 

 The Gelada, In the immediate 

 Giant of the neighborhood of 

 Baboon Family. t h e Hamadryas, 

 we find the Gelada of the Abys- 

 sinians, (Cynocephalus gelada), 

 the giant of the Baboon family, 

 though his discoverer, Ruppell, 

 denies his great size. Schimper, 

 who lived in Abyssinia for over 

 thirty years, and also Heuglin, 

 both agree in telling us that the 

 Gelada sometimes reached a 

 man's height. He is easily dis- 

 tinguished from the Hamadryas 

 at the first glance. The rich fur, 

 longest on the neck and back, 

 forms a cape and is of a black- 

 brown color, the hair in the face 

 and on the throat being of the 

 same hue ; while the mane and 

 the long tuft of the tail are 

 yellowish-brown. There are two 

 triangular places, devoid of hair, 

 on the neck and chin, their 

 points touching thus present 

 the form of an hour-glass; 

 they are framed in gray and white hair. Unlike the 

 Hamadryas the Gelada's callosities are very small, 

 completely separated and of grayish-black hue. 



MANDRILLS AND DRILLS. 



Not without cause the most monstrous of all 

 Baboons is separated from the others, for he differs 

 considerably from them. The body has a similar 

 structure, but the head is disproportionately large ; 

 the small eyes are placed close together, and are 

 surmounted by projecting ridges ; on both sides of 

 the nose is a large, prominent, furrowed, and as it 

 were swollen projection. The limbs are powerful, 

 the tail a short stub, standing upright ; the callosi- 

 ties cover the entire buttocks. The fur is peculiar, 

 and the chin is provided, at least in one species, 

 with a pointed, vividly colored beard. Both the 

 Baboons hereafter to be described, are natives of 

 western Africa, and have frequently been brought 

 over living to Europe and taken to America during 

 the last three hundred years. 



