known about their habits in the wild state in Africa, and it is evident that they are avoided rather than 
watched by the Blacks. 
Although, from the scantiness of reliable information regarding their habits when living at liberty, 
the Mandrill is of no great interest to the ordinary naturalist, still, the comparative anatomist, having 
had the advantage of dissecting both tame and wild specimens, considers this Monkey, which is 
ordinarily placed last in the scheme of the classification of the Old World kinds, of very great interest. 
For, placed low down in the Monkey scale, and remote from the man-like Apes, it approaches the 
flesh-eating animals, or Carnivora, in many points of its construction, and, if not exactly, still approxi- 
mately, and in their general character. 
The back-bone, for instance, although its curves recall those of man, is eminently that of the 
brute, that is to say, it greatly resembles that of many kinds of quadrupeds. The pieces, or vertebrae, 
of the back (dorsal) have, of course, spines, but they do not slope backwards ; on the contrary, those 
of the last three are directed forward j and the loin, or lumbar vertebras, are six or seven in number, 
156 NATURAL HISTORY. 
inoffensive and venomous, an 1 they lift up stone after stone in their search for them, enjoying Scorpions as 
much as anything else. Probably they can throw a stone, and this, coupled with their aspect, them 
assembling in troops to defy the farmers and watchers, and their attacking Dogs without mercy, has 
given them the bad character in the eyes of the negro race which they appear to have had from time 
immemorial. It is said that they annoy the Elephants so much that they will not remain in the same 
district ; but it is doubtful whether the great proboscidean could flourish where the Mandrill cares most 
to live, for he is neither a forest nor a plain Ape, but, like the rest of the Baboons, travels far and wide 
from his rocky home. They associate in bands like the other Cynocephali, and behave as they do when 
plundering ; but it appears to be true that the Mandrills are often found in small numbers, and that 
then they devote themselves to hunting for insects rather than to predatory excursions. Very little is- 
THE MANDlilLL. 
