114 
APES AND MONKEYS 
monkeys are found at an elevation of between eight and nine thousand feet above 
the sea-level; and it is one of the regular expeditions from Simla to ride or walk to 
see the monkeys on their own hill, which rejoices in the appropriate name of Jako. 
Here they are regularly fed by a fakir, who has taken up his abode on the same 
mountain, and they come down in troops at his well-known call. Indeed, these 
monkeys are almost invariably found in large droves; usually in the forests or more 
cultivated lands, but occasionally near and in the towns. Although not regarded 
as sacred, it appears that the rhesus monkey is frequently protected by the Hindus, 
and in Kashmir the writer has seen them forming part and parcel of the appanages 
of the temples. In several 
parts of India the Hindus 
have, indeed, a strong ob¬ 
jection to the slaughter of 
these monkeys. 
The rhesus is an intel¬ 
ligent creature, and, if cap¬ 
tured young, is docile and 
easily taught. It is the 
common monkey carried 
about by itinerant jugglers 
in Northern India, by whom 
it is taught many amusing 
tricks. Old animals, more 
especially males, become 
vicious and spiteful. 
In their wild state 
these monkeys make a 
hideous noise with their 
incessant chattering, and 
they are always mischiev¬ 
ous. In addition to the 
consumption of large quan¬ 
tities of fruit and seeds, 
they also subsist on insects 
and spiders, and parties of them may frequently be seen carefully searching the 
ground for these delicacies. Mr. Blanford tells us that the rhesus, like the crab¬ 
eating macaque, swims well, and takes readily to the water. 
Professor Ball relates a curious anecdote of these monkeys: “ When at Malwa 
Tal [near the Himalayan Station of Naini Tal], which is one of the lakes where I 
spent a day, I was warned that, in passing under a landslip which slopes down to 
the lake, I should be liable to have stones thrown at me by monkeys. Regarding 
this as being possibly a traveller’s tale, I made a particular point of going to the 
spot in order to see what could have given rise to it. As I approached the base of 
the landslip on the north side of the lake, I saw a number of brown monkeys 
(M. rhesus ) rush to the sides and across the top of the slip, and presently 
pieces of loosened stone and shale came tumbling down near where I stood. I 
THE BENGAL MONKEY. 
