BABOONS. 21 



age, that is, after they have completed their second dentition, 

 they undergo a great change in their mental disposition as well 

 as in their physical appearance. While young they are gentle, 

 docile, and playful ; but as soon as they have acquired their full 

 development, they become morose, sulky, and malicious. Hemp- 

 rich and Ehrenberg found large troops of them in Wadi Kanun, 

 and the mountains near the city of Gainfud, in the country of 

 the Wahabees, as well as in the mountains above Arkeeko, on 

 the Red Sea ; and we learn from Salt and Pearce, that they are 

 extremely common on the high lands in Tigre. The travellers 

 above-mentioned found troops of a hundred and upwards in 

 the neighbourhood of Eilet, in the chain of the Taranta. These 

 were usually composed of ten or a dozen adult males, and 

 about twenty adult females, the remainder of the troop being 

 made up of the young of the four or five preceding years. 

 When seen at a short distance, approaching a small stream 

 for the purpose of quenching their thirst, they bore a close 

 resemblance to a flock of wild hogs ; and it was observed 

 that the young ones always led the van, whilst the old males 

 brought up the rear, probably for the purpose of having the 

 whole family continually under their immediate inspection. 

 They did not appear to pay the slightest attention to the Gallas 

 and Abyssinians 5 but when the European travellers approached, 

 whom they probably mistrusted from the appearance of their 

 fire-arms, the old males abandoned their station in the rear, and 

 placed themselves between the troop and their enemies, so that 

 it was found extremely difficult to procure specimens of either 

 the females or young. When they first observed the travellers 

 approaching, they all stood upon their hind legs to examine them ; 

 the old males, having driven away the females and young ones, 

 remained in this position till the near approach of the party 

 compelled them also to retire, when the whole troop scampered 

 up the sides of the mountains, making them resound with their 

 shrill clamour."* 



In the Tower menagerie, now broken up, there was a large 



* Menageries (1838), vol. iii. p. 430. 



