296 CHILDREN'S BOOK FOR SABBA H HOURS.

vegetables, and they frequently rob gar- sembles that of an immense herd of
dens. When they cannot find fruit in swine and the rolling of drums.
the mountains and forests, they go down A traveler says they have some method
to the sea-coast, and feast on shell-fish, in their howling vocal concerts. One
especially a large kind of oyster, which mounts a high branch, while the rest of
lies on the shore with its mouth open. the group seat themselves in order be-
Lest it should close its shells upon their neath. Then the leader begins howling,
paws, they very carefully place a stone and, for a considerable time, performs a
betwixt the valves of the shell, and then solo, the rest apparently listening with
devour the contents at their leisure, attention and delight. Then, upon a sig-
 A baboon, once exhibited in LonCon, nal given by the leader, the whole com-
seemed to have a fit of jealousy. A foot- pany of monkey choristers at once send
man took a little girl to see it. To tease forth their discordant peals, which make
the animal, the man showed some frivo- the very forest to re-echo with the sound.
lous, kind attentions to the child. This Then at another signal, they stop.
so exasperated the creature, that he One traveler says he has seen these
caught hold of a great pewter pot, and creatures dancing from tree to tree over
threw it at the man's head with such his head, chattering and making a terri-
force, that, had it not been for his hat, ble noise, exhibiting a variety of the most
he would have been seriously injured. ridiculous grimaces, and casting at him
It was thought that the baboon's rage broken pieces of the branches of the
was a paroxysm of jealousy, trees. One, bigger than the rest, came
 The pigmy ale, which is about the to a small limb just over his head, and
size of a cat, is very fond of fruit, and leaping directly at him, made him leap
various roots and vegetables, and of in- back. Then the monkey caught hold of
sects, especially ants. They assemble the bough with the tip of its tail, and
in troops, and turn over every stone in there continued swinging to and fro,
search of them. If attacked by wild making mouths at him ; or, as children
beasts, they take to flight; but if over- sometimes say, making up faces."
taken, they turn round and boldly face The preaching monkey is sometimes
their pursuers. They often escape by called bel zebul, on account of its ugly and
flinging in the eyes of their enemies the forbidding appearance. It has a dark
fine sand of the desert. and thick beard about three inches long,
 The howling monkeys have a peculiar hanging down from its chin, which gives
horrible scream, which they generally the animal the mock air of a friar; and
send forth in the morning and evening, so it is called the preaching-monkey.
Two or three will make any one think They are very wild and mischievous.
that all the savage beasts of the forest They keep together in parties of twenty
are united in chorus. Their scream re- or thirty'; and they will ramble over the