BABOONS. 



129 



shoulders of the males extends backwards over a considerable portion of the body ; 

 and all the hairs arc ringed with different colours, so as to produce that speckled 

 appearance common to so many African monkeys. The females and young are 

 quite devoid of this mane ; the former being nearly as large as the males. The 

 snout is very long, and has not the prominent tumour-like swellings characterising 

 the short-tailed baboons. The nostrils project somewhat in front of the plane of 

 the upper lip, like those of a dog, and are similarly divided by a vertical furrow. 

 The eyes are surrounded by a light-coloured ring ; and the whiskers are brushed 

 back so as to cover the ears. If the gelada baboon be rightly compared to a black 

 French poodle, the males of the present species might be still more appropriately 

 likened to a grey one, did such a creature exist. 



The Arabian baboon, as its name implies, inhabits Arabia, but it is more 

 common on the African continent, in Abyssinia and the Sudan. It is not now 

 found in Egypt, but it may have been in ancient times ; although, on the other 

 hand, it is quite probable that it may have been imported by the ancient Egyptians 

 from the Sudan. It is just possible that the animal mentioned in the Scriptures 

 under the name of satyr may be this species. 



Among the ancient Egyptians the baboon occupied a prominent 

 place in the long series of sacred animals, and was consecrated to the 

 god Thoth. When sculptured by itself, it is the male that is represented, and it is 

 always placed in a seated position, with the hands resting on the knees ; the mane 

 investing the body like a huge cloak. Hermopolis, the city of Thoth, was especially 

 devoted to the cult of these animals ; while in Thebes a special necropolis was 

 arranged for the preservation of their mummified bodies. In spite, however, of its 

 sacred character, the ancient Egyptians, if we may trust their sculptures, were not 

 averse to making- use of the sacred baboon in the ordinary affairs of life. For 

 instance, there is a bas-relief extant representing a fruit-bearing sycamore, in the 

 branches of which are three monkeys, which from their long snouts, well-developed 

 tails, and thickly-haired shoulders and necks, may be at once recognised as Arabian 

 baboons. On either side of the tree are two slaves, with baskets laden with sycamore- 

 figs, others of which they are receiving from the hands of the baboons. It thus 

 appears that the ancient Egyptians had succeeded in training these intractable 

 animals to gather fruit and hand them to their masters, precisely after the fashion 

 that the modern Malays are said to have trained a langur in Sumatra to perform 

 a similar kind of service ; the fruit in the one case being sycamore-figs, and in the 

 other cocoa-nuts. 



In addition to being represented on the monuments of Egypt, it appears highly 

 probable that of two large monkeys sculptured on a bas-relief on one of the obelisks 

 brought by Sir Henry Layard from Nimroud, the one depicted with a heavy 

 mantle of fur on the shoulders is intended for the Arabian baboon. 



Habits Under the general heading of baboons we have already alluded 



to Ludolph's account of this species in the seventeenth century. 

 There are many later descriptions of the habits of this species, but we shall content 

 ourselves with some of the more recent of these. Mr. Blanford, in his account of 

 the Natural History of Abyssinia, relates his first meeting with these baboons when 

 on the march to Magdala in the following words : " On rising the next morning I 



VOL. i. 9 



