

78 MAMMALIA — MALBROUCK. 



by washing, rubbing, and drying them, in spite of the pettish cries and 

 resistance of the infant siamang, is highly ludicrous and amusing. ' 



1 THEMALBROUCK.i 



These animals are found in Bengal,* where travellers inform us they 

 plunder whole fields of grain, and plantations of sugar-canes ; and while 

 one stands sentinel on a tree, the others load themselves with the booty. 

 But if the owner of the field or plantation appears, to interrupt their depre- 

 dations, their faithful companion on the look-out, gives notice, by crying 

 out, houp, honp, houp, which the rest perfectly understand ; and, all at once, 

 throwing down their plunder which they hold in their left hands, they 

 scamper off upon three legs, holding the remainder in their right, and save 

 themselves from their pursuers by climbing up trees, Avhere they have their 

 general abode. The females, even loaded with their young ones, clasp 

 them close to their breast, leap like the others, from branch to branch, and 

 escape with the rest. Wlien it happens that they cannot find any provision 

 in the fields, they get on the tops of houses, and, having pulled off the tiles, 

 do great damage to the inside. They do not eat a single thing, without 

 smelling at it for a long time beforehand ; and when they have satisfied 

 their hunger, they put the remainder in their cheek pouches, for the next 

 day : they destroy the nests of birds, and never fail to throw the eggs on 

 the ground, Avhen they Avant appetite or inclination to eat them. 



The most formidable enemy these animals have, is the serpent; no other 

 animal of the forest being able to surprise them, as they are so exceedingly 

 swift and subtle, and easily climb up and seat themselves on the tops of the 

 highest trees. The monkey, (says a traveller,) has it in his power to be 

 master of the forest; for there are neither tigers nor lions, which can dispute 

 the possession with it. The chief animal it has to fear, and which attacks 

 it both night and day, is the snake. There are some snakes in those forests 

 of a prodigious size, which wind up the trees where the monkeys reside, 

 and, when they happen to surprise them sleeping, swallow them whole 

 before the little animals have time to make a defence. 



The malbrouck has pouches on each side of its cheeks, and callosities on 



1 Cercocchus cynosurus. The Cercocebus is a sub-genus of the Cercopithecus, which 

 includes SimitE mth four upper and four lower incisors ; canines, two upper and two 

 lower ; molars, ten upper and ten lower. Canines a little projecting', with intermediate 

 spaces for their reception ; posterior molars with only four tubercles. Head rounded ; 

 facial angle, forty-five to fifty degrees ; ears sometimes rounded, sometimes slightly angu- 

 lar ; thumbs distinct, more or less approaching to the fingers ; cheek pouches ; callosities 

 on the buttocks, with the exception of one species ; tail as long at least as the body, often 

 turned up on the back. 



* Some later naturalists are of opinion, that the malbrouck is not a native of India, 

 but of Africa. 



