NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



by tame adult baboons. I have seen them, when 

 teased, provoked in other ways, or scolded, suddenly 

 attack their owners, and inflict dreadful bites. On 

 the contrary, I have known adult baboons which 

 have been kept in captivity for years to be docile 

 and affectionate, and their owners assured me they 

 were free from vice. 



It is -indeed no wonder captive baboons usually 

 become irritable, surly, and untrustworthy, for the 

 life of the average captive baboon is not by any 

 means a happy one. 



Doomed to pass its existence secured by a chain 

 a yard or two in length, half-starved, wrongly fed or 

 over-fed, the captive baboon is petted and teased 

 by turn ; practical jokes are played off on it ; boys 

 are allowed to stone it, and in sundry ways it is 

 tormented. Unscientifically fed, and its evil in- 

 stincts rendered abnormal, can it be blamed for 

 turning and rending its persecutors ? 



The female baboon has only one baby at a birth. 

 I have known two instances of twins, but this, as 

 with other species of the monkey folk, is unusual. 



A troop of baboons were surprised when raiding 

 a mealie field, and all but one got safely away to their 

 stony, inaccessible retreat. When my friend and 

 his two sons, who were giving chase on horseback, 

 began to gain on the laggard, two males were seen 

 to leave the troop and linger, and it was apparent 

 they were waiting for their comrade. However, 

 seeing the horsemen coming straight on, they be- 



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