NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



Finding nothing else of£an edible nature, they dis- 

 appeared amongst the rocks. 



In Rhodesia, during a spell of dry weather, the 

 baboons in the Matoppo Mountains were hard 

 pressed for food ; so much so that one morning at 

 about eight o'clock, when everybody was at break- 

 fast, a large troop of them made a sudden dash for 

 the mule stables at the Terminus Hotel, and suc- 

 ceeded in stuffing their cheek-pouches full of mealies 

 from the bins before the alarm was raised. Then 

 each seized a handful of the mealies and made off 

 to their rocky home, evidently well satisfied at having 

 outwitted their enemies — the human folk. 



Baboons and monkeys are often caught in a rather 

 novel way. Gourds are prepared with a hole at the 

 end just large enough for the animal to thrust in its 

 open hand. Mealies are put into the gourd, and 

 the ape takes a fistful and hasn't the sense to drop 

 them. when it finds it cannot withdraw its clenched 

 hand. Steel netting is sometimes used instead of 

 gourds. I have also seen an iron-barred frame used 

 for the same purpose. 



A sub-species or local race of the Chacma Baboon 

 occurs in the Transvaal. It is known as Papio 

 porcarius griseipes. 



A full account of the life and habits of the baboons 

 of South Africa, and considerable numbers of anec- 

 dotes about them, may be seen on reference to my 

 book entitled The Monkeyfolk of South Africa. 



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