4444 Tuer ZooLogist—May, 1875. 
experiment was tried lately. A gentleman near here being pestered 
greatly by the monkeys devouring his sugar-cane, caught one and 
plastered it over with tar; he then sent it back to its comrades. 
This startling apparition produced a great commotion among the 
other monkeys: whether they eventually killed it we do not know, 
but it had the desired effect of preventing their return for some 
time. An old Dutchman told us of a curious method they have of 
capturing monkeys in the Free State: he said that being aware of 
their partiality for the seed of the pumpkin or gourd, the farmer 
makes a hole in one of these vegetables just large enough to admit 
of the creature’s open palm being inserted: he places this trap in 
a convenient spot and remains hidden until the monkey has got its 
hand in the hole full of seeds, which, in its hurry to escape, it has 
not the sense to drop, and is therefore easily taken, not being strong 
enough to carry off the vegetable, some of which weigh as much as 
a hundred pounds. 
The grivet (Cercopithecus Pelaurista) is rather larger than the 
green monkey: it is called by the natives “isimango,” and is 
greatly esteemed for its skin, the hair of which is of a soft silky 
texture, in colour green above and white beneath. The grivet 
is not often seen, keeping more to the denser parts of the bush, 
and subsisting chiefly on wild fruits; it is said not to care for 
Indian corn. It has been tamed, but monkeys are not always to 
be trusted; they are apt to act traitorously, particularly towards 
strangers. A lady of our acquaintance was attacked with great 
ferocity by a female monkey who was usually docile enough: on 
approaching to give it some food, it sprang upon her, tearing her in 
a dreadful manner with its sharp teeth, and it was no easy matter 
to drag off the furious animal. This monkey had a particular 
antipathy to females, Kafir and Coolie women being often molested. 
Rum sweetened with sugar was sometimes given to her, when she 
would become intoxicated, and appear quite ashamed, covering 
her face with her paws and crying. In a tame state monkeys will 
eat both cooked meat and eggs, as well as vegetables. 
Cane Rat (Bathyergus maritimus).—This rodent resembles in 
shape an enormous rat, being about eighteen inches long when full 
grown. It is thickly covered with short grayish spines, which are 
so stiff that they have almost the appearance of quills. In the day- 
time it lies very close in the scrub and long grass, and is rarely 
seen unless hunted out with dogs; but as soon as the sun falls it 
