Sherman — Birds by the Wayside 263 



naturalist a visit to the temple of Galta Pass (written also 

 Giilta Pass) must prove the most interesting-. There the 

 monkey is worshiped and fed. The chief species seen there 

 is a long-tailed, black-faced sort, — the Langur Monkey 

 {Semnopithecus entellus) if I mistake not. The surrounding- 

 hills are said to be full of them, their number being- estimated 

 at a thousand o-r more. The hour of my visit was late in the 

 forenoon, and many pious Hindus had preceded me, so the 

 monkeys were not hungry, yet a little calling soon brought 

 from twenty to thirty of them trooping over the hills. The 

 party consisted of an old male and his harem of ten or 

 twelve females, each female carrying a youngster of a few 

 months, and followed by about an equal number of half- 

 grown young ones. A bag of parched millet had been taken 

 along for feeding them. For me it was a unique experience 

 to be surrounded by these animals, to have one mother mon- 

 key after another seize mv hand with one of her hands, while 

 with her other hand she quickly picked up th5 grain and 

 stuffed it into her mouth. All were soon satisfied, and the 

 mothers sat down closely about me and nursed their babies. 

 The half-grown fellows kept by themselves. Both they and 

 the babies at times indulged in play, wrestling, pulling each 

 othe-r's tails, and playing- " leap-frog." Here was a place for 

 the student of animal behavior to pitch his camp. 



In both country and city, on the ground, on the housetops, 

 and in the trees, almost everywhere near human habitation 

 was to be seen the little, striped, gray Palm Squirrel (Sciurus 

 palmarum). These squirrels, two or three species of mon- 

 keys, and occasionally a mongoose were the p-rincipal wild 

 mammal seen. A nodding acquaintance was scraped with 

 a few species of trees. One cannot give attention to birds 

 without wishing to learn the names of the strange trees in 

 which they were found. Those I now recall were chiefly the 

 peepul, neem, tamarind, sal, and banyan, with here and there 

 a palm. 



Most travelers go to Mount Abu to see the Dilwara mar- 

 ble temples, which certainly do repay the trouble O'f a long 



