THE BABOONS 239 



ceeded in doing either. Making certain allowances 

 for native exaggeration, it is difficult to believe 

 that the stories one heard of it could possibly have 

 been so consistent and convincing if no foundation 

 really existed for them in fact. 



But putting aside this uncertain and shadowy 

 possibility of what there may be, and confining 

 ourselves to the more tangible consideration of 

 what there are, we are at once faced with those 

 fascinating types the two Baboons, which are 

 very well distributed, and quite sufficiently 

 numerous. These are the grey or chacma, and 

 the yellow baboon. To the latter, by reason of 

 his unmistakable colouring, the world of sport and 

 science has grown well accustomed; but there 

 are probably few among the wild creatures of 

 Africa who get themselves so frequently dis- 

 covered and rediscovered as the unintentionally 

 deceitful chacma. Almost all observers, especially 

 if they should possess, or believe themselves to 

 possess, that vague, intangible quality called 

 special knowledge, have found themselves over 

 and over again on the brink of a new discovery 

 as they gloated over the corpse of some newly 

 slain " old man," whose coat, owing to youth, old 

 age, skin disease, or other similar cause presented 

 slight differences of colour compared with perhaps 

 the last member of his family to fall into their 

 hands. I am convinced that the chacma is 

 almost as varied in the colour of his coat as is his 

 distant relative, the observer ; thus you may find 

 him of all shades from bluish grey to dark brown 

 streaked and tinged with grey, and from dirty 



