MONKE YS. 
31 
MONKEYS. 
|OW often one hears the remark, “ I don’t like monkeys ; 
they are so horribly human ! ” Surely that is a reason 
why we should study them with more than ordinary 
interest, and see how far they resemble us inwardly as 
well as outwardly — if I may be allowed to hint at an external 
resemblance. To a casual observer fun and frolic seems to be 
the idea of monkey life, and the monkey-house at the Zoological 
Gardens rings with laughter as one after another goes through 
some grotesque performance with his fellows. But as in human 
life it is not always those people who appear constantly cheerful 
who are really the happiest — there is often a hidden sadness 
which rarely shows itself ; so it is, I venture to think, with 
monkeys. 
To my mind there is something very sad about their little 
wrinkled faces — a look that suggests a longing to be once again 
free to play amongst the branches of the forest trees and to feel 
the warmth of the tropical sunshine. They are savage at times, 
but how strong is the affection they show ! It is touching to see 
the tender and constant care which a mother monkey shows to 
her infant ; her watchful eyes are never off it, and if any one 
approaches, the tender look gives place to one of intense rage, 
and she sets her teeth to frighten away, if possible, the intruder. 
I have noticed, too, how readily she will practise self-denial and 
think first of her offspring ; if given a nut she will not eat it 
herself, but crack it and then give it to her young one. So 
strong is their conjugal affection that if a pair of monkeys be 
separated they will refuse food, pine away and die. The follow- 
ing will serve as a slight illustration of their strong affection. 
A friend of mine, a native of India, was sitting in his 
garden, admiring the ripe fruit that hung from the trees, when 
a loud chattering announced the arrival of a large party of 
monkeys, who forthwith proceeded to make a meal off his fruits. 
Fearing the loss of his entire crop he fetched his fowling-piece, 
and, to frighten them away, fired it off, as he thought, over the 
heads of the chattering crew. They all fled awaj'', but he 
noticed, left behind upon a bough, what looked like one fallen 
asleep with its head resting upon its arms. As it did not move 
he sent a servant up the tree, who found that it was quite dead, 
having been shot through the heart. Grieved at what he had 
done he had it fetched down and buried beneath the tree, but his 
sorrowwas increased when on the morrow he saw, sitting upon 
the little mound, overwhelmed with grief, the mate of the dead 
one ; and there it sat for several days bewailing its sad loss. 
Surely there is something almost human in this love ! Perhaps 
I may appear to be attributing higher faculties to the monkey 
tribe than are found in other animals, but that is not my wish. 
I believe that the more closely we study the animal life that is 
around us, approaching it, not with the desire to destroy, but 
