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THE MANDRILL. 



A demon light glares from the eyes, and it seems verily possessed with a demon's 

 strength and malignity. With such violence do its stormy passions rage, that the vital 

 powers themselves have been known to yield before the tempest that agitates the 

 mind, and the animal has fallen lifeless in the midst of its wild yells and struggles. 



" Sudden and quick in passion " as is the Mandrill, it bears no short-lived anger, 

 after the custom of most quick-tempered beings, but cherishes a rancorous and deeply- 

 rooted vengeance against any one who may be unfortunate enough to irritate its froward 

 temper. It will often call in the aid of its natural cunning, and will pretend to have 

 forgotten the offence, in order to decoy the offender within reach of its grasp. 



The power of this animal is very great, and more than might be inferred from its size 

 alone, though its dimensions are far from trifling. 



Although in a foreign land, this, in common with most of the monkey tribes, seldom 

 reaches the stature to which it would have attained had it passed its existence among 

 the congenial influences of its own country ; even in England it has been known to 

 reach so considerable a size, that it was looked on as a dangerous animal, and one 

 which required strong bars and careful surveillance. 



In this country, the Mandrill is seldom seen to equal a tolerably large terrier in size, 

 but in its native land a full-grown male measures more than five feet when standing 

 upright, a stature which equals, if not excels, that of the chacma. As with monkeys in 

 general, the muscular power is very great in proportion to the size of the limbs, and 

 therefore the attack of a Mandrill is a serious matter. Even an armed man would as 

 soon encounter a leopard or a bear as a Mandrill, while a weaponless man would be quite 

 at the animal's mercy and mercy it has none. 



Perhaps it may be on account of the repulsive look of this animal that it is held in 

 such detestation by the natives, as much as on account of its ferocity and strength. 

 Be this as it may, the Mandrill is thoroughly feared and hated by the inhabitants of 

 Guinea. 



Unless they travel in large numbers and well armed, the natives shrink from passing 

 through the woods in which these animals make their residence. 



For the Mandrills live in society, and their bands are so powerful in point of numbers, 

 and so crafty in point of management, that they are about as formidable neighbors as 

 could be imagined. It is said that wherever they take up their abode they assume 

 supreme sway, attacking and driving from their haunts even the lordly elephant 

 himself. 



These animals are also affirmed to keep a watch over the villages, and when their 

 male population is dispersed to field labor, that they issue in large companies from 

 the woods, enter the defenceless villages, and plunder the houses of everything eatable, 

 in spite of the terrified women. Some of the female population are said to fall victims 

 to the Mandrills, which carry them away to the woods, as has been related of the 

 Chimpanzee. 



This latter assertion may be untrue, but it is strengthened by much collateral 

 evidence. The large male baboons, when in captivity, always make a great distinction 

 between their visitors of either sex, preferring the ladies to the gentlemen. Sometimes 

 they are so jealous in their disposition that they throw themselves into a transport of 

 rage if any attentions be paid to a lady within their sight. 



This curious propensity was once made the means of re-capturing a large baboon 

 a chacma that had escaped from its cage in the Jardin des Plantes, in Paris. 



It had already baffled many attempts to entice it to its home, and when force was 

 tried, repelled the assailants, severely wounding several of the keepers. At last a 

 ready-witted keeper hit upon a plan which proved eminently successful. 



There was a little window at the back of the cage, and when the keeper saw the 

 baboon in front of the open door, he brought a young lady to the window, and pretended 

 to kiss her. The sight of this proceeding was too much for the jealous feeling of the 

 baboon, which flew into the cage for the purpose of exterminating the offending keeper. 

 Another keeper was stationed in ambush near the cage, and the moment the infuriated 

 animal entered the den, he shut and fastened the door. 



The male Mandrills are always more ferocious and less tameable than the females 



