THE BABOONS. 2 fa 
members of the genus. * In regard to the bright coloration of 
the callosities and posterior parts of this and other Baboons, 
Mr. Darwin remarks: ‘In the discussion on sexual selection in 
my ‘ Descent of Man,’ no case interested and perplexed me so 
much as the highly-coloured hinder ends and adjoining parts 
of certain Monkeys. As these parts are more brightly coloured 
in one sex than the other, and as they become more brilliant 
during the season of love, I concluded that the colours had 
been gained as a sexual attraction. . . . I had, however, 
at that time no evidence of Monkeys exhibiting this part of 
their bodies during their courtship. . . . I have lately 
read [in an article by J. von Fischer, of Gotha, published in 
April, 1876] an account of the behaviour of a young male 
Mandrill when he first beheld himself in a looking-glass; and it 
is added, that after a time he turned round and presénted his 
red hinder end to the glass. Accordingly I wrote to Herr J. von 
Fischer to ask what he supposed was the meaning of this 
strange action. He says that he was himself at first perplexed 
and was thus led carefully to observe several indi- 
viduals of various other species of Monkeys, which he has long 
kept in his house. He finds that not only the Mandrill (C. 
mormon) but the Drill (C. Zewcopheus) and three other kinds of 
Baboons (C. hamadryas, C. sphinx,and C.babuin) . . . turn 
this part of their bodies, which in all these species is more or 
less brightly coloured, to him when they are pleased, and to 
other persons as a sort of greeting. . . . From these facts 
von Fischer concludes that the Monkeys which behaved in 
this manner before a looking-glass . . . acted as if their 
reflection were a new acquaintance. . . . It deserves 
especial attention that von Fischer has never seen any species 
purposely exhibit the hinder part of its body, if not at all 
