THE BARBARY APE. 53 



In Barbary, that trees are sometimes literally covered 

 with them *. A few are found near Gibraltar. — 

 Their face is not much unlike that of a dog. Their 

 general length is betwixt three and four feet. The 

 colour of the back is a greenish brown^ and that of 

 the belly pale yellow. The cheeks are furnished with 

 pouches 'l^. 



In their manners these animals are generally both 

 fierce and mischievous. They live on vegetables, 

 and are said to assemble at times in the open pla'rns 

 of India, in vast troops, and if they see any of the 

 women going to market, they immediately attack 

 them, and take away their provisions ^. Tavernier, 

 apparently alluding to this species, says, that so-.r.e 

 of the inhabitants of India have an odd mode of 

 amusing themselves at their expence. These people 

 place five or six baskets of rice, forty or fifty yards 

 asunder, in an open ground near their retreat, and 

 by every basket put a number of stout cudgels, 

 each about two feet long : they then retire to some 

 hiding place, not far distant, to wait the event. 

 When the Apes observe no persons near the baskets, 

 they soon descend in great numbers from the trees, 

 and run towards them. They grin at each other for 

 some tim.e before they dare approach ; somelimes 

 they advance, then retreat, seeming much disinclin- 

 ed to encounter. At length the females, which are 

 more courageous than the males, especially those 

 that have young ones, (which they carry in their 



* Church.-t l'c"n- Quad. 1. 171.— J lb. 

 E3 



