50 



THE APES AND MONKEYS. 



are as Lambs compared to him, for they have com- 

 mon sense and adapt themselves to circumstances. 

 The Hamadryas and other Baboons are but timid 

 beginners in wrath, as measured by this ugly brute. 



Doings of Pechuel-Loesche writes about the Man- 

 Three Captive drills that he observed for years in 



Mandrills. Chinchocho: "We kept three Mandrills 

 in our yard, tied with ropes to the poles supporting 

 their house ; they did not attempt to escape, pro- 

 vided they had sufficient exercise. They were true 

 Baboons — cunning, ill-mannered, full of mischief, and 

 well aware that they amused us by their pranks. 

 Yet the character of the three was different. Pavy, 

 a male, was amiable, affectionate and wheedling. 

 Jack, a weak female, was a perfect humorist, and 

 played with everybody but ladies, whom she hated. 

 She was not very affectionate. Isabella was a very 

 strong female, and she was presented to us because 

 her wickedness made her unbearable at the trading 

 post where she formerly lived. She furiously 

 attacked people of every size, color and sex. It 

 took us a long time, and required a great deal of 

 kind treatment to persuade her that at least we 

 Europeans were not her enemies. Her character 

 was utterly spoiled. She accepted everything that 

 pleased her, but was grateful for nothing. 



" Pavy and Jack were like good watch- Dogs. 

 They used to sit on the roofs of their high houses, 

 scan the neighborhood, and apprise us of approach- 

 ing visitors or of any extraordinary occurrence. On 

 our walks we always tried to collect special dainties 

 for our animal pets, such as fruit, sweet plants, 

 leaves, Beetles or Grasshoppers. These two Man- 

 drills, therefore, always watched for us, and greeted 

 our return by crowing and executing the most daring 

 jumps. When we called out to them they tried to 

 surpass themselves. At the same time a Black 

 Monkey would begin his peculiar sermon, and then 

 all the other animals would raise their voices, includ- 

 ing a Chimpanzee, whose vocal organs are so dis- 



agreeable to the ear. Sometimes the din greeting us 

 was positively deafening. 

 Fondness of " It was new to me that Baboons se- 

 Uandrills lected inanimate objects for toys and 

 for Toys. took them to bed as children will take 

 their dolls. Isabella put great value on a little tin 

 can, and Pavy on a little piece of wood, that he 

 would play 'toss' and 'catch' with. Once it flew 

 beyond his reach and Jack caught it. Immediately 

 a fierce enmity sprang up between the two ; but 

 as the length of their ropes did not allow of a fight, 

 they had to content themselves with chiding each 

 other and making fearful faces. I returned the 

 piece of wood to Pavy but the animosity contin- 

 ued. Jack had been seized with a passion for my 

 insulated thermometer, and whenever she was let 

 loose, tried to steal it. She evidently liked the lus- 

 tre of the glass. She was so careful of it, however, 

 that she did not break it, even when she had suc- 

 ceeded in taking it along with her on a walk over 

 roofs and trees, and we had to coax her to give it 

 back." 



The Wanderoo, Another Monkey that is sometimes 

 a Handsome counted among the Macaques is the 

 Monkey. beautiful Wanderoo or Nilbhandar 

 (Cynoccphalus silemts). It has a slim body, a rich 

 beard, enveloping the whole face, and a tufted tail 

 of moderate size. The fur on the upper part of 

 the body is of a lustrous black color ; it is brown- 

 ish-gray on the under part of the body, and the 

 mane is white. The good-natured eyes are brown. 

 This Monkey does not exceed three feet in length. 

 An erroneous opinion as to the native country 

 of this Monkey has prevailed until lately, Ceylon 

 having been considered as its home. According 

 to the latest investigations the animal is a native 

 of Malabar, and is found in troops of from fifteen 

 to twenty, exclusively in the high forests, ranging 

 from the 14th degree of northern latitude to Cape 

 Comorin. 



Emerican or Broab^lFloseb flfeonfce^s. 



SECOND FAMILY: Platyrrhini. 



The difference between the products of the 

 tropics of the Old World and those of South Amer- 

 ica is, as a rule, marked and striking. Everything 

 in South America combines to produce the impres- 

 sion of fairyland ; the rich variety of nature charms 

 us and makes us forget the attractive features of the 

 other half of the globe. 



General View This impression of contrast is felt, 

 of American to a certain degree, when compari- 

 Monkeys. son j s m ade between the Monkeys 

 of the Old and New Worlds. The American or 

 Broad-nosed Monkeys {Platyrrhini) are peculiar 

 animals, but they are not beautiful ; at least, not the 

 majority of them. They are duller and more indo- 

 lent than the Old World Monkeys, and also much 

 more harmless and good-natured ; which means that 

 they are not really Monkeys. We are too much 



accustomed to look for a merry, mischievous dispo- 

 sition in a Monkey, and to think of Monkey nature 

 as bold, impudent and good-for-nothing. 



The structure of body, limbs and teeth in the 

 American Monkeys differs from that of their Eastern 

 cousins. Their body and limbs are as a rule slim. 

 The tail is never lacking, and in only a few rare in- 

 stances stunted ; generally it is used as a fifth hand, 

 as the end may be rolled up by a few strong muscles 

 and it may therefore be used for grasping and hold- 

 ing. The thumb in the hands cannot be opposed to 

 the fingers to the same degree as in the feet. In- 

 stead of thirty-two teeth, there are thirty-six, each 

 side being furnished with six molars. Cheek- 

 pouches and callosities are never found. The 

 partition between the nostrils is broad. No single 

 member of this family attains a large Monkey-size 



