Part 3

The Mandrill has a very peculiar appearance when the colors of its face are bright. In some instances the entire face is streaked with bright red and blue and black bands, and what seems still more curious the upper part of the thigh is sometimes of a bright red mixed with blue, giving the Monkey a very peculiar appearance. And what seems even more strange, these colors are not permanent, but often disappear after or during disease, and they even change when the animal is strongly excited.

The Mandrill when old is deceitful and malicious. Even when taken quite young and supposed to be tame, it should not be trusted, for taming does not seem to improve its character.

Besides these changeable colors that stripe the face and tint the thighs of the Mandrill, their permanent colors are very bright and striking. The hair upon its body is a brownish grey, with olive upon the back; the chin is surrounded by a beard of bright lemon yellow; its cheeks are either striped or of a brilliant blue, while the nose is red, especially towards the tip where it becomes scarlet. It would be difficult to find an animal more gaily decorated and yet so hideous. And as it grows to be almost as large as a man, it is not surprising that the negroes of the Guinea coast, where it is commonly found, should have a superstitious fear of so dangerous a creature.

CURIOUS MONKEYS OF THE MACAQUES FAMILY.

The Monkeys belonging to the group known as Macaques, or Macacus, nearly all have tails; some quite long, others short, and still others of medium length, and Naturalists sometimes divide them into different groups according to the length of the tail. Others classify in different ways, making a great many distinct groups or Genus of this particular tribe of Monkeys, but the three main groups—the Wanderoo, the Barbary Ape and the Bonnet Monkey—are the most important and include the main characteristics of all the others.

THE WANDEROO.

The Wanderoo is commonly found in the island of Ceylon. These Monkeys have cheek pouches like the others of this family. They do not grow much larger than an English Spaniel Dog and are of a grey color with black faces and great white beards reaching from ear to ear, making them look like old men. They do very little mischief, keeping in the woods, and eating only leaves and buds of trees; but when they are tamed they can be taught to eat anything.

The other Monkeys have great respect for this species, looking upon them as their superiors; and they are usually considered by mankind to be much more intelligent than the rest of the Monkey race.

THE BARBARY APE.

The Barbary Ape is the only Monkey found in Europe, and differs from almost all others belonging to the Macaques, in being without a tail. When full grown it is from three to four feet high. Its general color is olive green and grey; the face is of a dirty flesh color, with brown spots, very much wrinkled, and surrounded with dirty grey hair.

It usually goes on all fours. The young animals are very intelligent and gentle, and they are well known throughout Europe as objects of exhibition and amusement.

The Barbary Apes prefer to live in rocky places and on the mountains. In their native home they live upon pine cones, chestnuts, figs, melons, nuts and vegetables which they carry off from gardens near their homes, although great care is taken to exclude these mischievous animals. While they are committing their thefts, two or three mount to the summits of the trees, and of the highest rocks to keep watch, and as soon as these sentinels see any one, or hear a noise, they utter a cry of warning, and immediately the whole troop take to flight, carrying off whatever they have been able to lay their hands on.

THE BONNET MACAQUES.

The Bonnet Monkey is frequently caught for exhibition. It is about the size of a large cat, greenish grey above and white below, with a long tail. The face is naked and wrinkled; the hair of the crown is long and dark, and spreads in all directions, lying upon the surface of the head like hair in a scalp-wig. On this account the animal is sometimes called the Scalp Monkey.

In its native country the Bonnet Monkey is almost as much venerated as the Hoonuman in Bengal, and although it does great injury to fields and gardens, the natives forbid any one to kill it. Or if this has been done through mistake, they demand from the culprit enough money to pay for a grand funeral.

When young, the Bonnet Monkey is very amusing as a pet, performing all his tricks with a comical gravity. When two or three are kept together, they are constantly hugging and nursing each other. When a Monkey of this kind has no companions of its own species, it will make friends with some other animal, and will often pet and hug a kitten with great gravity and all the fondness of a child, at a great risk of choking it. When full-grown, however, the behavior of the Bonnet Monkey changes, and it becomes sullen and savage and spiteful.

THE AMERICAN MONKEYS.

There are several queer families of American Monkeys that make their home in Brazil, Peru and on the banks of the Amazon and the Orinoco. Further South, and along the western part of South America are found many of the small Monkeys with long tails like those we usually see in this country patiently following the street organs and making trade for their Italian masters. The most of these are intelligent, affectionate little fellows, and are more in demand for taming than the Monkeys of Africa, or even those of the smaller families found in Asia and Europe.

Nearly all of the American Monkeys have long tails, and some find them a great help in climbing; these are usually classed as the Prehensile tailed Monkeys, and the Non-prehensile tailed Monkeys are those who do not make any use of their long tails in grasping the limbs of the trees, etc., in climbing. Very few of the American Monkeys have cheek-pouches and their nostrils are placed on the sides of the nose, instead of beneath it, giving them a very different appearance from the Apes, Baboons, etc., found in Africa. The different kinds of American Monkeys are usually divided into several families with the usual long hard Latin names to distinguish them, but as these names mean simply, the Howlers, the Spider Monkeys, the Weepers, etc., we will use only their English names in describing them.

THE HOWLING MONKEYS.

The Monkeys belonging to the family of Howlers are remarkable on account of the formation of their throat, which causes their voice to be hoarse and loud and very disagreeable. Although they are scarcely two feet in height, these Monkeys have the most powerful voice of any known animal. When gathered in troops they make the great forests re-echo with their tumult, which carries terror even to the bravest man when heard for the first time. Travelers compare this noise to the creaking of a great multitude of carts whose wheels and axle-trees need greasing; and with all this creaking and grinding noise there is a sound like the rolling of a drum.

Every day, morning and evening, the Howlers assemble in the forests, and one of their number, taking his station upon a lofty tree, makes a sign with his hands, as though inviting the others to sit around him. He then begins a sort of discourse, in a voice so loud and harsh that any one might suppose that they were all screaming together, although one only is thus employed; when this one leaves off, he gives a signal to the others, who immediately set up a cry in full chorus, until their leader commands silence, and is instantly obeyed. The first speaker, or rather howler, then begins again, and it is only after several repetitions of this that they cease from their discordant yellings.

These Monkeys live in large troops and only frequent the highest trees, from which they rarely come down. They leap from branch to branch with wonderful agility, and, contrary to the habits of most Quadrumana, seem to prefer those parts of the forests which are in the vicinity of rivers or swamps. They live almost entirely upon the fruits and foliage of the trees around them, and are said occasionally to catch and eat insects. The whole race is remarkably sullen, lazy, heavy and of disagreeable nature; they are tamed with difficulty. And it is not often that this is attempted, for even if they were good-natured and intelligent, they would not make desirable pets on account of their voice.

THE SPIDER MONKEYS.

These curious little Monkeys are found in nearly all parts of South America, and they live in troops, making their homes in trees. They feed on the insects which are usually found in great quantities in many of the South American trees, and occasionally they will descend to the ground, in search of small Fish and Molluscs which they find in the mud on the banks of the rivers. It is said that they even venture on the beds of the rivers when the water is low, and capture the oysters, and they are very quick in learning how to open the shells and take out the oyster.

These Monkeys are distinguished by their fine silky hair, their strong tails, which they use in climbing and in swinging themselves from limb to limb, and the fact that they have no thumbs; but only the four fingers on each hand. This peculiarity has given them the Greek name by which the family is usually classified which means imperfect, but the name Spider Monkey has been given to them because of their long, slender limbs and their slow, queer manner of walking, which sometimes gives them the appearance of huge spiders.

THE WEEPING MONKEYS.

The Weeping Monkeys are smaller, but not so slim as the Spider Monkeys. They live in the forests of Guinea and Brazil, and flock together in great troops. They will eat snails and small Birds when they can get them, but their principal food is the abundance of fruits found among the trees where they make their home.

They generally keep on the topmost branches of the highest trees to keep out of the way of the Serpents, of which they are very much afraid. Even when tamed and brought to this country, the sight of the most harmless Snake will fill them with terror.

These Monkeys are called weepers from their plaintive cry. Usually their voice is soft; when excited or angry it becomes loud and pitiful; when teased it keeps up a kind of plaintive wailing, which has given it its name of Weeping Monkey, although they have also been called Musk Monkeys at times, because of their musky odor.

These Monkeys have short round heads with the skull projecting backwards, and many of them have their faces bordered with long hair; others have long hair on top of the head, and in one species, called the Horned Monkey, this hair forms two black tufts, having the appearance of horns.

All the Weeping Monkeys are gentle and easily tamed, and perform many amusing tricks, such as firing off a gun, and sweeping with a small broom. They will break a nut between two stones when it is too strong to be cracked with their teeth, and show many signs of unusual intelligence.

THE LEMURS, OR FOX-HEADED MONKEYS.

Some very curious animals are found in the Lemur family. The Sloth Monkeys, the Indris, the Aye-Ayes and the ugly big-eyed Tarsier, are all related to the Lemurs, and some look more like fairy-tale monsters than harmless, timid, little animals of the Monkey family.

What are known as the “Lemurs proper,” or the Fox-Headed Monkeys, are the best known of this family. Their hair is thick, soft and woolly, their ears short and velvety, and their tails long and bushy. They have very large eyes, and queer hands with flattened nails.

Nearly all the different members of the Lemur family live in Madagascar and the surrounding islands. They like to live in companies or troops among the trees, and their food is mainly the fruits of these trees; but they will also eagerly catch and devour insects. They are very sociable animals, and like to collect in numerous bands; and they sleep in the highest parts of the trees where no harm can come to them.

Carnivora—Flesh-Eating Quadrupeds.

THE Carnivorous animals form the largest and most powerful family of Mammals that live on the land; and in this family are also included many water Mammals. Although this extensive family contains animals that are very different in size and form, yet they are all alike in their flesh-eating habits, in possessing strong sharp claws, and three kinds of teeth, the incisors, molars and canines; the latter being sharp and powerful fangs used for seizing and holding their struggling prey.

Although the animals of this family are all flesh-eaters, and all prefer this diet, there are some members that live partially on vegetable food, especially when flesh diet is scarce, and this fact is sometimes used to help divide the large family into smaller groups. There is also a great difference in the manner of walking. Some of the animals place the entire sole of the foot upon the ground, from the heel to the toes, so that the soles of the feet are without hair; but the greater number have their heel so much raised that they walk only on their toes; and in these, the part corresponding to the sole is hairy (like that of the cat) and is sometimes mistaken for the leg of the animal.

To the first of these divisions the term Plantigrade has been applied. The word means stepping on the sole, and comes from planta, the sole; and gradior, to step. To the latter division the name Digitigrade is given, which means stepping on the toes, and comes from digitus, a finger, or toe, and gradior, to step.

There is still another important division to this great family, known as the Amphibious Carnivora, which includes the Seals, Sea-Lions, etc., which are capable of living both on the land and in the water.

This is the simplest and most easily remembered of all the divisions of the great order of Carnivorous animals. Some Naturalists object to it as not being clearly defined, and divide the Carnivora into six great families. First the Mustelidae, or Weasel family; second, the Hyena family; third, the Felidae, or Cat family; fourth, the Canidae, or Dog family; fifth, the Viverridae or Civet family; and sixth the Ursidae or Bear family.

These six families are then sub-divided into many smaller families, and the Amphibia are grouped by themselves instead of being included among the Carnivora—although they are flesh eaters, and this seems to be their proper place.

For easy grouping we will cling to the old method of classifying all the Carnivorous animals under the three main orders of Plantigrade, Digitigrade, and Amphibious Carnivora.

PLANTIGRADE CARNIVORA—THE BEAR FAMILY.

The Bears form the most important family of the “Plantigrade Carnivora.” The sole of the foot is very wide, and the whole surface touches the ground in walking. They are very strong and can easily crush a man to death in their arms. Different members of the family live in various parts of the globe. They eat almost any kind of food, and many of them prefer a vegetable diet; very few of them will kill a man or an animal simply for the sake of food, unless necessity compels them. But they will defend themselves vigorously when attacked, and in spite of their heaviness and their slow motions, they prove very quick and fierce at such times. They can easily overtake a man in running, and most of them climb trees easily.

Bears can stand upright on their hind legs longer than almost any other animal, and they usually take this position when they fight.

In eating, Bears sit down like Dogs, and taking up the food in their paws raise it to their mouths.

When caught young, the Bear may be easily tamed, and its gentle nature enables it to learn many amusing tricks, but it will not often show off these tricks without first expressing its unwillingness by deep growling, and it often gets very angry during the training.

The best known varieties of Bears are the Brown Bear of Europe, the Grizzly and the Black Bear of America, the Syrian Bear, the White or Polar Bear, the Sloth Bear and Malay Bear and the Bornean Bear.

Although their native homes are in America, Europe and Asia (it is uncertain whether any exist in Africa) they are mainly found in the northern regions as they do not like the heat; and when they are found in temperate or warm climates, they generally live in the lofty mountain ridges.

THE BROWN OR ALPINE BEAR.

(See Frontispiece.)

The Brown Bear leads a lonely life in the dark pine forests, and the deep gorges or on the highest mountain ridges. It makes its den in caverns, on clefts of the rocks, or in the hollow of some giant old tree. It generally sleeps during the day and seeks its food at night. It feeds on the nuts of the beech, and many kinds of wild fruits and berries, preferring those that are slightly sour, and also seeds, vegetables and roots. It is very fond of honey, strawberries and grapes and will travel many miles to procure these delicacies, and it is especially fond of a swarm of ants, which it likes on account of their acid taste.

In the lofty region in which it lives, when all these kinds of food fail, it makes its way down to some of the lower valleys, and ravages the fields of wheat, oats, etc., and any flesh food that it may find, especially a carcass of some dead animal. When very hungry it will often go many miles from home to seek its vegetable or to kill its animal food if necessary, but at dawn it never fails to return to its own home.

This Bear is very cautious, and if it gets into trouble it is not because of want of care. It has very keen sight and smell and hearing, and whenever it goes into a new neighborhood to search for food, it will first climb to the top of some small tree, and explore the surrounding space, both by sight and smell. It very seldom enters a trap, and if it finds a carcass, it will examine it very carefully before attempting to drag it away and eat it.

When it becomes necessary to kill animals for food, it prefers a sheep or a goat. It will seldom attack cows, although it has been known to lay in wait for these near their drinking places, and when it has sprung on the back of one, it seizes it by the nape of the neck, biting and tearing it until it bleeds to death. Then, after devouring part of it, the Bear carries off the remainder.

The Brown Bear is an easy tempered animal, and is cruel only from necessity. It is happy and comic in its ways. But when it is attacked or wounded or suddenly disturbed in its sleep, or when its cubs are in peril, this bear becomes a dangerous foe.

THE COLLARED AND THE AMERICAN BEAR.

The Collared Bear and the American Black Bear are somewhat peculiar in their nature and habits.

The Ringed, Collared, or Siberian Bear owes its name to a large white ring which surrounds its shoulders and fades away on the chest. The Siberian Bear is much more formidable than the European variety. In the gloomy and cold countries which it inhabits, the vegetation is not sufficient to satisfy its appetite; it must therefore, fall back upon some kind of animal food. It will also feed on fish, which it catches cleverly, and on carcasses thrown on the seashore. It hunts the Reindeer, and will often attack man. The inhabitants of Kamtschatka wage a war of extermination against this animal.

The American Black Bear, on the contrary, is naturally one of the least offensive animals. It has little taste for flesh. Even when hungry, if a choice is offered between animal food and fruit, it does not hesitate in selecting the vegetable substance. It swims well, and is fond of fish, which it catches skillfully. It seldom attacks man, unless it is hunted; as a rule, it prefers seeking safety in flight. It principally makes its abode in the hollows of firs and pines, selecting the holes which are the highest. Under these circumstances, the Americans capture it by setting fire to the foot of the tree. This animal is hunted with great activity, not only to put an end to its depredations in the corn-fields, but also for the sake of its flesh, fat, and fur; the latter is used for many purposes. The hams of the American Bear, when salted and smoked, have a high reputation both in the United States and Europe.

THE GRIZZLY, OR “FEROCIOUS BEAR.”

The Grizzly Bear is a native of North America, and has been found near 61 degrees north latitude, and as far as Mexico to the south. It is exceedingly formidable on account of its great strength and ferocity. It overpowers even the American Bison, and has been seen to drag along a carcass a thousand pounds in weight.

These bears vary considerably in color; the young are darker than the older specimens. The feet are armed with long curved claws, those on the fore-feet being larger than the hind ones. The Grizzly Bear can dig with ease, and is able when young to ascend trees.

It usually inhabits swampy, well-covered spots among trees and bushes, and here it makes its lair. It prowls forth both by night and day, and is more carnivorous than the Black Bear, but in the latter part of summer seeks eagerly for the fruits which then abound; it prefers, however, the flesh of animals, and will partially bury a carcass for future supply, after having feasted upon its best parts.

Townsend, in the “Narrative of a Journey across the Rocky Mountains,” gives the following account of an adventure with a Grizzly Bear on a small stream running down a valley covered with quagmires:

“As we approached our encampment near a small grove of willows on the margin of the river, a tremendous Grizzly Bear rushed out upon us. Our horses ran wildly in every direction, snorting with terror, and became nearly unmanageable. Several balls were instantly fired into him, but they only seemed to increase his fury. After spending a moment in rending each wound (their invariable practice), he selected the person who happened to be nearest, and darted after him, but before he proceeded far he was sure to be stopped again by a ball from another quarter.

“In this way he was driven about among us for fifteen minutes, at times so near some of the horses that he received several severe kicks from them. One of the pack-horses was fastened upon by the brute, and in the terrified animal’s efforts to escape the dreaded gripe, the pack and saddle were broken to pieces and disengaged. One of our mules also gave him a kick in the head, which sent him rolling to the bottom. Here he was finally brought to a stand. The poor animal was now so surrounded by enemies, that he was completely bewildered. He raised himself upon his hind-feet, standing almost erect, his mouth partly open; and from his protruding tongue the blood fell in fast drops. While in this position he received about six more balls, each of which made him reel. At last, in complete desperation, he rushed into the water and swam several yards with astonishing strength and agility, the guns cracking at him constantly. But he was not to proceed far. Just then, Richardson, who had been absent, rode up, and fixed his deadly aim upon him, fired a ball into the back of his head, which killed him instantly.