BEYOND THE SUDD 
283 
always been stated to occur at Mongalla; but I gathered 
no positive evidence myself. 
These forests are a favourite haunt of baboons, and 
an incident with them further illustrated that strong sense 
of mutual sympathy that exists in the animal-world. A 
group of a score sat assembled beneath some heglig-trees, 
some asleep, others lazily strolling around, their tails 
carried like pothooks. One satyr-faced “old man” (the 
biggest I had ever seen, and I had already shot one 
scaling 82 lb.) sat upright on his haunches, critically 
examining and peeling a tree-fruit with strangely human 
action. So immense did he appear that I decided to have 
his mask. The bullet laid him out—a dark blotch on the 
sere grass—but ere I reached the spot no blotch remained. 
He had recovered his legs; but blood-spoor gave the 
direction, and soon I perceived him staggering with diffi¬ 
culty away. So certain a prey did he then appear that, 
not wishing to injure the pelt, I refrained from firing 
a second shot. Suddenly the rest of the troop, which 
meanwhile had utterly vanished, reappeared, two or 
three supporting their stricken leader on either side. 
Being now still more reluctant to fire, the result was that 
the ambulance squad reached a patch of thick bush, and 
therein I lost them! A similar incident occurred the 
following year on the Dinder River ; but, in that case, the 
view was more obstructed. 
At Mongalla we secured two serval kittens, beautiful 
little creatures but frightfully savage for their size. I 
gave them to Mr Butler at Khartoum, but, despite all his 
care and skill, they had both died before my return in the 
following November. 
(m) Bird-Life 
In books on African travel one reads rhapsodies 
on the beauty and brilliance of plumage of tropical birds. 
The text becomes well-nigh stereotyped. Yet Central 
African birds as a whole are neither more beautiful 
