THE ANIMALS OF NORTHERN AFRICA 



end of the eighteenth century, that they some- 

 times appeared in crowds in the trees in the 

 outskirts of Stora. Associating in troops, they 

 fed on pine-apples, chestnuts, figs, melons, pis- 

 tachio-nuts, and, in spite of every pre- 

 caution, made general havoc in the gardens 

 of the Arabs ; two or three of the troops 

 keeping watch on neighbouring trees or 

 rocks, whence they warned their fellows 

 of approaching danger. 



Years ago they abounded on the 

 rock of Gibraltar, where there were 

 several distinct troops ; but on account 

 of the damage they inflicted 

 on fruit-gardens, more especi- 

 ally fig-trees, they were killed 

 off to such an extent that, in 

 order to prevent their 

 complete extermina- 

 tion, their destruction 

 was in 1858 prohib- 

 ited, and now, after 

 many vicissitudes, 

 they are once more 

 on the increase. 



When counted in 

 1856, there were 

 found to be only 

 four or five magots 



BARP.AP.Y APE. 



on Gibraltar, and in 1863 their number had 

 decreased to three. The then governor accordingly 

 introduced four young magots, two males and two females, 

 imported from Morocco, with which the three sur- 

 vivors soon made friends. The party increased, how- 

 ever, very slowly; and in the spring of 1872, two 

 of the monkeys were killed by an officer just arrived 

 at Gibraltar, and ignorant of the garrison-order pro- 

 These were soon replaced by two or three others from 

 Morocco ; but the latter were killed by the Gibraltar monkeys and one full-grown 

 male fell a victim to a fire which raged on the rock in June 1874. At that time 

 several young magots were born, so that by the spring of 1875 the troop consisted 



tecting the magots. 



