THE CAPE BABOON OR BAVIAN 



came terrified, and fled. When the pursuers were 

 reining up to shoot, the baboon which could not 

 manage to keep pace with the troop faced round 

 and set up a series of piteous screams and barks. 

 The reason for its inability to keep up with its fellows 

 became apparent, for clinging to its side and breast 

 were two babies, whose faces wore an expression of 

 terror. The farmer, who had been exasperated by 

 repeated raids on his crops, with an oath raised 

 his gun to shoot, but, divining his intention, the 

 mother baboon turned her back to him, and at the 

 same time threw her arms round her children and 

 crouched over them. She received the charge of 

 shot in her lungs, and fell forward, her last effort 

 being to thrust her babies under her body. The 

 two youngsters were subsequently given to me, and 

 were reared. For the first two months they were 

 fed on cows' milk, diluted one-third with water, and 

 a little lime water added. They sucked this readily 

 from an Allenbury baby's feeding-bottle. They 

 had a bottle each to prevent them squabbling, for, 

 should one be fed before the other, the lamentations 

 it set up were loud, piteous, and long. The little 

 fellow thought itself very badly treated, and said so 

 in his own peculiar way. 



We established peace and harmony by handing 

 the bottles of milk simultaneously to the two. 

 Hugging the bottles tightly, they retired to their 

 respective corners, looking now and then fearfully 

 over their shoulders ; then, pushing the teat of 



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