52 



THE MONKEYS OF THE OLD WORLD. 



said to commit at times in cocoa-nut planta- 

 tions, but which cannot be very serious, seeing 

 that he lives mostly in the great forests, the 

 facility with which he is tamed causes him 

 to be much liked in his native country of 

 Malabar, as a domestic animal and "co- 

 median;" and he is frequently exported to 



Ceylon, whence he is brought to European 

 zoological gardens and monkey- theatres. 

 His behaviour is good-natured, even "dig- 

 nified," as many observers declare; according 

 to the accounts given of him we might call 

 him the philosopher among the monkeys. 

 Some observers even maintain that his re- 





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Fig. 9. — The Barbary Ape {/nuus ecaudatus). 



morse on account of faults of which he has 

 been guilty may cause him to shed tears, which 

 would certainly bring him very near man in 

 respect of the expression of his feelings. 



And now for thee, last witness upon Euro- 

 pean ground of the climate of a bygone age, 

 still dwelling in a small troop on the rock of 

 Gibraltar, former4y almost the inseparable 

 companion of the European camel-drivers, the 

 tailless Magot or Barbary Ape [Imius ecaudatus, 

 Macacus Inuus), fig. 9. The sparse woods on 

 the rocks of North Africa are now the chief 

 home left for this creature, but the destruction 

 of the woods and the advance of civilization, 

 leading to the rooting out of the alfa grass for 

 industrial purposes, have made this ape, which 



was known even to the ancients, almost a 

 rare animal. 



When the French, after the conquest of 

 Algiers, stormed the romantic defile of Shiffa, 

 hundreds of these creatures darted up the 

 rocky precipices amidst piercing cries; now 

 the tourist but seldom catches sight of one 

 with his telescope ; and the traveller may 

 entertain some doubt whether, after all, it is 

 not a half- wild ape which the speculative 

 host feeds, and thus keeps attached to some 

 almost inaccessible spot. 



Although good climbers and gymnasts, the 

 magots are essentially terrestrial forms, with 

 long powerful legs, slightly protruding muzzle, 

 and good-natured eyes; and they can be 



