264 FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF AFRICA. 
than eighty feet, trying to outdo the chimpanzee in speed, and to 
capture it in the nets, after which it is easily despatched by lances. 
When thus brought to bay, the apes defend themselves with 
savage fury, sometimes snatching the spears from the hunter's 
hand, and striking out wildly right and left; and even more danger¬ 
ous than this method of defense is the grip of their pointed teeth, 
and the amazing muscular power of their nervous arms. Here, as 
in the woods on the western coast, legends are current of their 
carrying off human beings, and of the curious nest which it is said 
they build of leafy branches in the crest of the forest trees. 
SMALL APES VERY NUMEROUS. 
We must not omit to mention the smaller kinds of apes; for, 
although they are very numerous in all the primeval woods of the 
tropical belt of Africa, they are principally found along the west 
coast and near the Upper Nile. The name sea-cats, by which they 
are sometimes known, was given centuries ago to these merest and 
prettiest specimens of the monkey tribe, because they were brought 
over the sea to Europe, and because something in their shape 
resembles the cat. The favorites of the children, the nimble, quarrel¬ 
some, amusing inhabitants of our menageries and zoological 
gardens, which sometimes win from the grave man of science a 
smile, belong to this category. The greyish green monkey, the slate- 
colored, white-bearded Diana, the ill-tempered black monkey, the 
reddish huzzar monkey, and numerous other kinds, are included in 
this family. 
It is a real pleasure to meet with a band of these monkeys in 
the forest; it is a wild chaos of busy life, crying and fighting, quar¬ 
relling and reconciliation, climbing, running, pilfering and plunder¬ 
ing, grimacing and contortion. They recognize no leader of their 
commonwealth, except the strongest of their race; they acknowledge 
no law but that enforced by the sharp teeth and strong hands of 
their chief; they consider that no danger can exist from which he 
is not able to set them free, they adapt themselves to every position, 
have no fear of drought or famine, and spend their lives in per¬ 
petual activity and merriment. Their chief characteristic is the 
