72 THE BABOON. 



of hair that falls over their shoulders, and which, when thick and gray with age, is a 

 natural uniform that cannot be wrongly assumed or mistaken. 



These leaders have a mode of communicating their orders to their subordinates, and 

 they again to those placed under them, in a curiously-varied language of intonations. 

 Short and sharp barks, prolonged howls, sudden screams, quick jabberings, and even 

 gestures of limbs and person, are all used with singular rapidity, and repeated from one to 

 the other. There was a system of military telegraphing, by means of attitudes and sounds, 

 which was invented some time ago, and which really might have been copied from the 

 baboons, so much do their natural tactics resemble the artificial inventions of man; 

 kind. 



It must be remembered that, clever as are these animals, their ingenuity is quite 

 equalled, and even surpassed, by many of the animal kingdom which are placed much 

 lower in its system. Therefore, although these examples of their sagacity are thus placed 

 on record, it is not to be imagined that the quadrumanous animals are put forward as 

 the most rational of the lower creations. 



In recording the known instances of the mental powers displayed by the monkey 

 tribe, we only give to the creature its due meed of praise, and act honestly by treating of 

 every being with equal justice. It is so sad that many writers should set about such a 

 task, having a purpose to serve, and that, in order to give to their own theory the greatest 

 weight, they lay the greatest stress upon those records which tell in their favor, while they 

 suppress those facts which might tend to overthrow or modify their own peculiar views. 



To resume the account of the baboons : 



Like all animals which assemble in flocks, they never rest or move without the 

 protection of certain sentries, which are chosen out of their number, and which keep the 

 most careful watch over the troop to which they belong. The duty is anything but an 

 agreeable one, and its labors are equally divided among the community, each competent 

 member taking that task upon himself in his own turn. 



When they make an attack upon a field or a plantation, they always guard against 

 surprise by posting sentries on elevated spots, and, knowing that due notice will be given 

 if any suspicious object be seen or heard, they devote all their energies to the congenial 

 business of theft, while the sentries remain at their posts, never daring to withdraw their 

 attention from the important charge which is committed to them. However, the sentinels 

 do not entirely lose the benefit of all the good things, but take their proper share of the 

 spoil after the thievish band has returned to a place of safety; so that their greatest 

 trial is an exercise of patience of rather a prolonged character. 



In their rocky fastnesses, their chief foe is the leopard, and so terrified are they at 

 the very sound of their enemy's voice, that even a very poor imitation of a growl is 

 sufficient to set them flying off as fast as their legs can carry them, while a breath of 

 air that bears upon its wings the least taint of that rank odor which exhales so powerfully 

 from the large Felidae, scatters dire consternation among the assemblage. There is a 

 story of a life saved by means of the ingenuity of a native servant, who, seeing his 

 master beset by a party of angry baboons, quietly stepped behind a rock, and imitated 

 the growl of a leopard with that startling fidelity that is so general an accomplishment 

 among savage tribes. 



The leopard seldom attacks an adult baboon, not caring to risk its claws and fangs 

 against the hands and teeth of so powerful an opponent. Much less does it openly 

 venture to assault a band of baboons in hopes of securing one of their number. Its 

 mode of procedure is by slyly creeping round their rocky domains, and whipping off 

 one of the young baboons before an alarm is given. 



Bold as are these animals, they will not dare to follow a leopard into its den ; so that, 

 if their dreaded foe succeeds in once getting clear of their outposts, it may carry off its 

 prey with impunity. The constant dread which the leopard seems to excite in a baboon's 

 mind appears to be occasioned more by the stealthy craft and persevering aggression 

 of the animal, rather than by its physical powers alone. 



One of these animals, the Thoth Baboon, bore a conspicuous part in the sculptured 

 mythology of the Egyptians, and may be seen in almost every stony document that is 

 impressed with the hieroglyphical wisdom of that wondrous nation. Only the male 



