THE BABOON. 



NATURALISTS seem to be agreed 

 that the baboons {cyjiocephahis) , 

 while one of the most remark- 

 able groups of the monkey fam- 

 ily, are the ugliest, rudest, coarsest, and 

 most repulsive representatives of it. 

 The animal stands in the lowest degree 

 of development of the monkey tribe, 

 and possesses none of the nobler shapes 

 and qualities of mind of other species. 

 Aristotle called the baboons dog- 

 headed monkeys, on account of the 

 shape of their heads, which have a re- 

 semblance to that of a rude, fierce dog. 



The baboons are found throughout 

 Africa, Arabia, and India. In the main 

 they are mountain monkeys, but also 

 live in forests and are excellent tree- 

 climbers. In the mountains they go as 

 high as nine thousand to thirteen thou- 

 sand feet above the sea-level, but give 

 preference to countries having an ele- 

 vation of three thousand or four thou- 

 sand feet. Old travelers assert that 

 mountainous regions are their true 

 home. 



The food of the baboons consists 

 chiefly of onions, tubers, grass, fruit, 

 eggs, and insects of all kinds, but, as 

 they have also a greedy appetite for 

 animal food, they steal chickens and 

 kill small antelopes. In plantations, 

 and especially vineyards, they cause 

 the greatest damage, and are even said 

 to make their raids in an orderly, de- 

 liberate, and nearly military manner. 



Brehm, who observed them closely, 

 says that they resemble awkward dogs 

 in their gait, and even when they 

 do stand erect they like to lean on one 

 hand. When not hurried their walk is 

 slow and lumbering; as soon as they 

 are pursued, they fall into a singular 

 sort of gallop, which includes the most 

 peculiar movements of the body. 



The moral traits of the baboons are 

 quite in accord with their external ap- 

 pearance. Scheitlin describes them as 

 all more or less bad fellows, "always 

 savage, fierce, impudent, and malicious; 

 the muzzle is a coarse imitation of a 

 dog's, the face a distortion of a dog's 

 face. The look is cunning, the mind 

 wicked. They are more open to in- 



struction than the smaller monkeys and 

 have more common sense. Their imi- 

 tative nature seems such that they 

 barely escape being human. They 

 easily perceive traps and dangers, and 

 defend themselves with courage and 

 bravery. As bad as they may be, they 

 still are capable of being tamed in 

 youth, but when they become old their 

 gentle nature disappears, and they be- 

 come disobedient; they grin, scratch, 

 and bite. Education does not go deep 

 enough with them. It is said that in 

 the wild state they are more clever; 

 while in captivity they are gentler. 

 Their family name is 'dog-headed mon- 

 keys.' If they only had the dog's soul 

 along with his head!" Another traveler 

 says that they have a few excellent 

 qualities; they are very fond of each 

 other and their children; they also be- 

 come attached to their keeper and 

 make themselves useful to him. "But 

 these good qualities are in no way suffi- 

 cient to counterbalance their bad hab- 

 its and passions. Cunning and malice 

 are common traits of all baboons, and 

 a blind rage is their chief characteristic. 

 A single word, a mocking smile, even 

 a cross look, will sometimes throw the 

 baboon into a rage, in which he loses 

 all self-control." Therefore the animal 

 is always dangerous and never to be 

 trifled with. 



The baboons shun man. Their chief 

 enemy is the leopard, though it oftener 

 attacks the little ones, as the old fel- 

 lows are formidable in self-defense. 

 Scorpions they do not fear, as they 

 break off their poisonous tails with 

 great skill, and they are said to enjoy 

 eating these animals as much as they 

 do insects or spiders. They avoid poi- 

 sonous snakes with great caution. 



This animal is said to be remarkable 

 for its ability in discovering water. In 

 South Africa, when the water begins to 

 run short, and the known fountains 

 have failed, it is deprived of water for 

 a whole day, until it is furious with 

 thirst. A long rope is then tied to its 

 collar, and it is suffered to run about 

 where it chooses. First it runs forward 

 a little, then stops, gets on its hind feet, 



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