562 MR. B. I. POCOCK ON THE BREEDING [May 15, 



genus Cercopitliecus and also in the Rhesus, Common, and Japanese 

 Macaques ; but I learn from Dr. Hamish Nicol that a Bonnet 

 Macaque (J/, sinicus) he had for some years in captivity always 

 showed a bloody discharge at menstruation, so much so as to 

 redden the places where she sat and compel her confinement to 

 the cage for the two or three days that it lasted*. 



Keviewing the above-mentioned facts it seems to me to be 

 impossible to draw any satisfactory conclusions with regard to 

 the incidence of menstrual haemorrhage in Oercopithecidse. In 

 Baboons it may or may not take place and may be great or little 

 in amount. It has been noticed to occur in some profusion in a 

 female Macacus sitiicus, and not to occur appreciably in a female 

 of the closely allied species M. fascicularis. Obviously, therefore, 

 it cannot be associated with the inflammatory swelling of the 

 genito-anal region ; and it is hardly likely to have a specific value 

 in taxonomy. Perhaps the nearest guess at the truth that can at 

 present be made is the surnaise that it is dependent on the con- 

 stitution or health of the individual. 



Pregnancy and Parturition in Macaques. 



In the first half of the current year three Monkeys were born 

 in the Gardens, namely : a Japanese Macaque {Macacus fuscatus = 

 speciosus) on Jan. lOth ; a hybrid between a male Common 

 Macaque {Macacus fascicidaris = c^nomolgics) and a female Pig- 

 tailed (M. nemestrinus) on March 1st ; and a hybrid between the 

 same male Common Macaque and a female Rhesus {M. rhesus) on 

 April 27th. Congress between the parents of the Japanese 

 Macaque was not seen, and the young was born at night. No 

 observations, therefore, were made upon the period of gestation 

 and parturition in this species. 



The same remarks apply to the young born from the specimens 

 of AI. fascicularis and M. i'hesus, except that the devouring of the 

 placenta by the mother was noticed by the keeper in charge. 



In the case of the hybrid M. cynoviolgus and M. nemestrinus 

 practically all the stages of parturition were watched. Unfortu- 

 nately the young was born dead, or died soon after birth f. 



Pregnancy. 



Neither the Pig- tailed nor Japanese Macaque was known to be 

 pregnant, in spite of the large size of the young. In the case of 

 the Japanese Macaque this was due to the long and thick hairy 

 winter coat of the mother ; and in the case of the Pigtail to the 



* This Monkey, I hear on the same authority, was addicted to masturbation — a 

 habit by no means uncommon in males of some Baboons and Anthropoid Apes 

 (Chimpanzee, Orang), but of very rare occurrence, I believe, in females. 



f I was not mj'self present on the occasion. Foi- the information given abdve I 

 am indebted to the two keepei's, Harrod and Rodwell, whom I cross-examined 

 independently without finding any important discrepancies in their accounts. 



