99 
APE. 
were believed to dwell near the fountains of the 
Nile*i defended annually to make war on the 
cranes, i. e, to ileal their eggs, which the birds 
may be fuppofed naturally to defend * s whence the 
fiflion of their combats. Strabo judiciomly ** ob- 
ferves, that no perfon worthy of credit ever ven¬ 
tured to alfert he had feen this nation : Arifioth 
fpeaks of them only by hear-fay, u<rir£g a rysmt, they 
were faid to be mounted on little horfes, on goats, 
on rams, and even on partridges. The Indians 
taking advantage of the credulity of people, em¬ 
balmed this fpecies of ape with fpices, and fold 
them to merchants as true pygmies -f :.fuch, doubt- 
lefs, were the diminutive inhabitants mentioned by 
Mr .GrofeX to he found in the foreft of the Carnatic . 
Feed on fruits; are very fond of infefls, parti¬ 
cularly of ants; aflemble in troops ||, and turn over 
every ilone in fearch of them. If attacked by wild 
beafls, take to flight; but if overtaken, will face 
their purfuers, and by flinging the fubtile fand of 
the defert in their eyes, often efcape §. 
Le grand Gibbon de Buffon , xiv. 92. tab. ii. 66. Lo 
AK. 
A. with a flat fwarthy face furrounded with grey 
hairs : hair on the body black and rough : but¬ 
tocks bare: nails on the hands flat3 on the feet, 
* Arijiot. hiji. an. lib. viii. r. 13. 
** Gefner quad. 852. From Marco Polo. They take off all th.fi 
hair, except a little they leave by way of beard. 
f Lib. xvii. 
;; Voy. E. Indies. 365. 
| Ludolph. JEthiop. 57. 
§ Idem , 58. 
H 2 
long: 
s 2 
