14 CERCOPITHECIDiE. 



Face and callosities flesh-coloured, being bright red in adults at 

 all times. 



Dimensio'iis. Head and body 22 inches, tail 10 without the haii's, 

 11 with, baud 4i-, foot 6. These are the measurements (by Hodg- 

 son) of a very large individual, doubtless a male. Females measure 

 much less, body 16 to 18 inches, tail about 6 to 7. Skull of a male 

 5 inches long from occiput, 3'5 from foramen, breadth across zygo- 

 matic arches 3-55 ; of a female 4'3 and 3 inches long, 3*1 broad. 



Distribution. The Rhesus is the common monkey of JVorthern 

 India from the Himalayas to the Grodavari river. It is found in 

 Kashmir up to an elevation of 5000 feet (10,000 according to some 

 authorities), and there is a colony, I believe of this species, on the 

 top of Jako hill, about 8500 feet high, at Simla. Specimens have 

 also been sent from Nepal by Hodgson (as M. oinops) and by Man- 

 delli from Sikhim, but from low elevations. M. rhesus is found 

 close to the west coast near Bombay, but not much further south ; 

 it is common throughout Guzerat and the Central ProAinces, in 

 Bengal, Orissa, and parts of the Xorthern Circai's. There is a 

 specimen in the Calcutta Museum from Samaguting, in Assam, and 

 Anderson met with a form not distiuguishable from this in Upper 

 Burma and Yunnan. All the specimeus obtained, however, were 

 in captivity, but he saw a colony of wild monkeys that appeared 

 to belong to this species on the Ii'awadi below Tenankbyoung. 

 Closely allied forms (J/, lasiotis and M. cyclopis) occur in China. 



Habits. Although this monkey is not regarded as sacred by 

 Hindus, it is neA^er molested by them, and in many parts of the 

 country it is as impudent as the Hauuman and even more mis- 

 chievous. Very intelligent, and, when young, fairly docile, it is 

 one of the commonest animals kept tame, and throughout Northern 

 India it is the monkey carried about by itinerant showmen, and 

 taught to perform tricks of various kinds. It is a most amusing 

 creature, the incarnation of mischief and curiosity, but frequently 

 rather ill-tempered. Older individuals are usually savage. 



In the wild state it is found in herds, often of considerable size. 

 It has generally but litHe fear of man, and may occasioually be 

 found iu native villages, though less commonly than the Hauuman. 

 It is very frequently seen on the ground searching for food, and it 

 eats spiders and many kinds of insects, especially Lepidoptera and 

 Orthoptera, besides fruits and seeds. Flocks of this monkey are 

 more frequently seen near cultivation, especially around tanks or 

 amongst trees on the bauks of streams, than in forest jungle. 

 These animals are very quarrelsome, perpetually screaming and 

 tightiug, or teasing each other — in fact, they behave very much like 

 unruly children. 



M. rliesus swims well and takes readily to water. 



