46 THE INDUSTRIES OF ANIMALS. 



Sometimes it is a question of carrying off a round 

 fruit which offers no prominence to take hold of. The 

 Red-headed Melanerpes {Melanerpes erythrocephalus) 

 of North America is very greedy with regard to apples, 

 and feeds on them as well as on cherries. It takes 

 him a considerable time to consume an apple, and as 

 he is well aware of the danger he runs by prolonging 

 his stay in an orchard, he wishes to carry away his 

 booty to a safe and sheltered spot. He vigorously 

 plunges his open beak into the apple ; the two man- 

 dibles enter separately, and the fruit is well fixed ; he 

 detaches it and flies away to the chosen retreat. Apes 

 are very skilful in utilising their booty. Cocoa-nuts 

 are rather hard to open, but Apes do not lose any part 

 of them ; they first tear off the fibrous envelope with 

 their teeth, then they enlarge the natural holes with 

 their fingers, and drink the milk. Finally, in order to 

 reach the kernel they strike the nut on some hard 

 object exactly as Man would do. The Baboons {Cyno- 

 cephali), whose courage is prodigious, since they will 

 fight in a band against a pack of dogs or even against 

 a leopard, are also very prudent and very skilful. 

 They know that courage is no use against the sting 

 of a venomous snake, and that the best thing is to 

 avoid being bitten. The scorpion, whose dart is per- 

 fidious, also inspires their distrust, but as they like 

 eating him they endeavour to catch him. This is not 

 indeed very difficult if one carefully observes his 

 movements, and it is possible to seize him suddenly 

 by the tail, as I have often done, without being stung. 

 Apes employ this method, pull out his sting, and 

 crunch the now inoffensive Arachnid. They also like 

 ants, but fear being bitten by them ; when they wish 

 to enjoy them, they place an open hand on an ant-hill 



