BARBARY APE 9 



of six adult females, two large males, and a number of young. Although one of the 

 males looked in poor condition and seemed to be very old, the other was exceedingly 

 vigorous, and took the leadership of the troop. He kept order by biting or running 

 after obstinate members of the party, and headed the gang when changing their 

 residence. The loss of this male, which was missed on the 17th of August 1875 

 and found dead in the beginning of September of the same year, seems to have 

 hindered the increase of the troop, for between 1875 and the end of 1877 no young 

 were born. Towards the end of that year the troop consisted of four adult and 

 as many j^ounger females, and of four medium-sized members of the same sex, 

 together with one male of about the same size, and five younger males about three 

 years old ; but since the death of the old monkey, the troop did not keep so well 

 together and its members quarrelled a great deal among themselves. In 1880 they 

 were flourishing once more, for in the preceding spring there had been born four 

 young, two of which, strangely enough, had short tails ; and in 1893 the number 

 had increased to thirty. 



The Gibraltar magots are fond of the steep slope of the rock facing the 

 Mediterranean and inaccessible to man; but they are very sensitive to the cold 

 damp east wind which blows against that side from time to time, and therefore 

 move to the western slope, looking towards the town, whenever the wind blows 

 from the east. Their favourite abode is a spot situated above the Alameda garden 

 at the foot of Charles v.'s wall, about half-way up the western side of the rock, 

 which is covered with bushes, and called the monkeys' garden. Another shelter 

 to which they retire four or five hours before a change of wind sets in is the 

 monkey-cavern, close to the sea. The monkeys in the course of time grew so 

 intimate with their protector, the signalman, that they ventured within the fence 

 of the signal-station, especially during droughts in summer, in order to get water. 

 The signalman never saw them eat any of the food put out for them, except grapes, 

 which they seemed to appreciate ; but they greedily ate grass, as well as all kinds 

 of roots and bulbs, such as those of the yellow Cape sorrel, along with the fruits of 

 the palmetto, which are equally appreciated by the Gibraltar street-boys, who call 

 them monkeys' dates. Sometimes fights take place among the monkeys ; one of 

 the offenders being chased down steep ridges, stumbling and rolling every now and 

 then, but, if necessary, grasping twigs of bushes, or clutching projecting corners 

 of rocks, and thus covering several hundred feet in a few moments. On one 

 occasion, when a large male monkey was caught in an ammunition-box, to which it 

 had been enticed by fruits, it could not be overpowered until three artillerymen 

 threw themselves upon it with their cloaks. After it had been chained up and 

 become reconciled to confinement, it used to scrutinise the whereabouts of its 

 former companions from a place overlooking the eastern slope of the rock. This, 

 however, was a sign, not of longing for, but of fearing its fellows, as it showed the 

 strongest symptoms of terror every time they approached. On another occasion two 

 females were observed sitting beside each other, chattering, and comparing their 

 young: they were soon after joined by a male, which took its place between them, 

 and joined in the conversation for some minutes. This male used almost continu- 

 ally to carry about one or two of the young ones during the summer. In captivity 

 these apes are fond of taking care of smaller animals, even those belonging to quite 



