126 APES AND MONKEYS. 



(dog -headed) to these animals; and it is this name which has been adopted in 

 scientific phraseology as the distinctive appellation of the group. This great 

 prolongation of the snout shows that the baboons are the lowest of the Old 

 World monkeys, and they bear the most marked signs of relationship with the 

 inferior orders of Mammals. 



In addition to their long snouts, baboons are likewise distinguished by the 

 large proportionate size of their skulls, this being most markedly the case with some 

 of the West African forms. Moreover, the bones forming the upper jaws are greatly 

 inflated, so as to give a swollen look to this part of the face in some of the 

 species. They may also carry prominent oblique ridges, which form the support 

 for the peculiar fleshy tumour-like structures occurring in certain West African 

 examples. 



In all the baboons the callosities on the buttocks are unusually large, and may 

 be very brightly coloured. The tail is never very long, and may be short. The 

 arms and legs, or, as they may be better termed, fore- and hind-legs, are nearly equal 

 in length, and are thus far better adapted for progress on the ground than for 

 climbing. Indeed, none of the baboons appear to be adepts at climbing, and many 

 of them pass almost their whole time on the ground. As we shall have occasion to 

 notice more fully later on, several species of this group show an especial predilection 

 for rocky ground, and are accustomed to go in large troops this association being 

 probably necessary for defence against the attacks of leopards and other Carnivores, 

 to which their terrestrial habits render them peculiarly liable. 



Their defence does not, however, rest solely on the strength of numbers ; for 

 the male baboons, which are considerably superior in size and strength to their 

 consorts, are armed with tusks of the most formidable dimensions. Indeed, a bite 

 from one of these animals must be almost, if not quite, as severe and dangerous as 

 a leopard's ; and there are instances on record where leopards have been successfully 

 attacked and mastered by a few old male baboons. 



The great size of the head, coupled with their general bodily conformation, 

 renders all the baboons much less capable of assuming and maintaining the 

 erect posture than any of the other Old World monkeys. They are, indeed, 

 accustomed to go almost invariably on all-fours ; and when on tolerably flat ground 

 can gallop at a pace that requires a horse to overtake them. When brought to 

 bay, a baboon will, however, stand on its hind - quarters to defend itself more 

 readily. 



In the wild state scarcely any kind of food comes amiss to baboons ; 

 and although the bulk of their nutriment may take the form of seeds, 

 fruits, roots, and the gum which exudes from the stems of many of the African acacias, 

 they also search for and eat insects, lizards, and birds' eggs. In regions where culti- 

 vated lands exist much harm is clone by the nocturnal excursions of baboons. During 

 such raids most travellers agree in saying that a certain number of the troop are 

 selected to act as sentinels and to give timely warning of the approach of an enemy. 

 How much credence is to be given to the statements that on these occasions the 

 marauders are accustomed to range themselves in long lines leading from the 

 cultivated ground to their homes, and to pass the stolen plunder from hand to 

 hand, it is not for us to decide. 



