ANIMALS. 



THE MONKEY. 



427 



The varieties in the larger tribes of the monkey kind are but 

 few; in the ape we have seen but four, and in the baboon about 

 as many. But when we come to the smaller class, the diiTer- 

 ences among them seem too tedious for enumerations. These, 

 as was observed in the beginning, are all small in stature, and 

 with long tails, by which they are distinguished from the pre- 

 ceding, that entirely want the tail, or are large, and have but 

 a short one. The varieties in the form and colour of dogs, or 

 squirrels, is nothing to what are found among monkeys of the 

 smaller kind. Bosman mentions above fifty sorts on the Gold 

 Coast alone, and Smith confirms the account. Condamine as- 

 serts that it would take up a volume to describe the differences 

 of these to be found along the river Amazons ; and we are sure 

 that every one of these is very different from those on the Afri- 

 can coast. Naturalists, however, have undertaken to make a 

 catalogue of their numbers ; and they either transmit their de- 

 scriptions from one to another, or only enumerate those few that 

 have found their way to Europe, and have fallen within the nar- 

 row circle of their own observation. But though it may be pro- 

 per enough to describe such as fall under notice, it is certainly 

 wrong to offer a scanty catalogue as complete, and to induce the 

 reader to suppose he sees a picture of the whole group of these 

 animals, when be is only presented with a small part of the num- 

 ber. Such, therefore, as are fond of the reputation of adding 

 new descriptions to the stock of natural history, have here a 



Ihc fur. Tlie dog'-faced baboons are natives of various parts of Africa and 

 Asia. These animals usually associate in vast companies. When travellers 

 pass near their haunts, they are impudent enough to run into the nearest 

 trees, and shake the boughs with great vehemence, at the same time chat> 

 tering very loudly. They are so powerful, as, without auy difficulty, to 

 overcome a man ; and they frequently commit such depredations in culti. 

 rated grounds, that the proprietors are compelled to have armed men con. 

 tiuually on the watch to prevent them from plimdering. 



Amongst the motmtains in the neighbourhood of the Cape of Good Hope, 

 there are immense troops of these baboons, or of a variety very nearly allied 

 to them.* When any one approaches their haunts, they set up a univer- 

 sal and horrible cry for a minute or two, and then conceal themselves in 

 their fortresses, and keep a profound silence. They seldom descend to tJie 

 plains, except for the piu'pose of plundering the gardens tliat lie near Iho 

 foot of the mountains. 



• I'he Ursine Babouu. 



