216 MR. H. H. JOHNSTON ON THE [Mar. 3, 



abundant. They went generally in flocks of from fourteen to twenty, 

 of all ages and both sexes. They were so little molested by the natives 

 that they showed small fear of man, and instead of running away 

 would often stop to look at me about 20 yards off, and the old males 

 would show their teeth and grunt. I have frequently seen the 

 natives driving them from the plantations as they might a troop of 

 naughty boys, and the Baboons retreating with swollen cheek- 

 pouches, often dragging after them a portion of the spoil. On one 

 occasion, in the river-bed at the foot of Kilima-njaro, my Indian 

 servant Virapan, ordinarily a very plucky boy, met a troop of 

 Baboons, who, instead of fleeing up into the trees, came running 

 towards him in a very menacing manner, and he was so frightened at 

 their aspect that he took to his heels. The Baboons followed, and 

 but that the boy forded tlie shallow stream and put the water be- 

 tween him and his pursuers he might have had an awkward contest. 

 I killed a Baboon once in Chaga, one of a troop who were rifling a 

 maize plantation, and its companions, instead of running away, sur- 

 rounded the corpse and snarled at me. As I had no more ammunition 

 I went back to my settlement to fetch some of my followers, and 

 upon the approach of several men the Baboons ran off. We 

 picked up the dead one, and carried it back. It was a female, 

 and apparently young and tender. Out of curiosity I had its 

 flesh cooked the next day and ate it, hoping in this way to form 

 some idea of the practice of cannibalism ; I can only saj' that the 

 succulence and quality of this creature's flesh were quite un- 

 exceptionable. I have noticed this with every species I have as yet 

 tasted of Old-World monkey. During my three months' stay in 

 Mandara's country I ate the common Cercopithecus pyerythrus 

 constantly, and found it made a very toothsome stew. The most 

 remarkable monkey in all this region is probably the Colobus, 

 which apparently offers a new variety or subspecies in the country 

 round Kilima-njaro, remarkable for having an entirely white, heavily 

 plumed tail. The common species, with a black tail tipped with 

 white, I have shot in the forested plains nearer the coast. The 

 Colobus Monkey is almost the only one that quite avoids the neigli- 

 bourhood of man ; the other genera frequent the neighbourhood 

 of native plantations, and doubtless profit by the abundance of cul- 

 tivated food. I never observed any Galago in this district nor do 

 natives speak of one, although it is a genus well represented in 

 other parts of East Africa. 



Bats are by no means common or often seen. I saw some Fruit- 

 Bats once in the forest hanging to a sycamore-fig tree. No member 

 of the groups of Insectivora came under my notice. 



The Carnivora in this country of big game are of course well 

 represented. The Lion is very abundant and very bold ; but the 

 Leopard is more feared by the natives than his larger ally. 

 While stopping in Mandara's country two of that chief's subjects 

 were killed by Leopards, one of them close to the frequented 

 village-green. The Leopard ascends the mountain up to about 

 8000 feet, scarcely higher. I shot one of these creatures in the 



