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Show 216 MR. H. H. JOHNSTON ON THE [M abundant. They went generally in flocks of from fourteen to twenty, of all ages and both sexes. They were so little molested by the natives that they showed small fear of man, and instead of running away would often stop to look at m e about 20 yards off, and the old males would show their teeth and grunt. I have frequently seen the natives driving them from the plantations as they might a troop of naughty boys, and the Baboons retreating with swollen cheek-pouches, often dragging after them a portion of the spoil. On one occasion, in the river-bed at the foot of Kilima-njaro, m y Indian servant Virapan, ordinarily a very plucky boy, met a troop of Baboons, who, instead of fleeing up into the trees, came running towards him in a very menacing manner, and he was so frightened at their aspect that he took to his heels. The Baboons followed, and but that the boy forded the shallow stream and put the water between him and his pursuers he might have had an awkward contest. I killed a Baboon once in Chaga, one of a troop who were rifling a maize plantation, and its companions, instead of running away, surrounded the corpse and snarled at me. As I had no more ammunition I went back to m y settlement to fetch some of my followers, and upon the approach of several men the Baboons ran off. We picked up the dead one, and carried it back. It was a female, and apparently young and tender. Out of curiosity I had its flesh cooked the next day and ate it, hoping in this way to form some idea of the practice of cannibalism ; I can only say that the succulence and quality of this creature's flesh were quite unexceptionable. I have noticed this with every species I have as yet tasted of Old-World monkey. During my three months' stay in Mandara's country I ate the common Cercopithecus pyerythrus constantly, and found it made a very toothsome stew. The most remarkable monkey in all this region is probably the Colobus, which apparently offers a new variety or subspecies in the country round Kilima-njaro, remarkable for having an entirely white, heavily plumed tail. The common species, with a black tail tipped with white, I have shot in the forested plains nearer the coast. The Colobus Monkey is almost the only one that quite avoids the neighbourhood of man ; the other genera frequent the neighbourhood of native plantations, and doubtless profit by the abundance of cultivated food. I never observed any Galago in this district nor do natives speak of one, although it is a genus well represented in other parts of East Africa. Bats are by no means common or often seen. I saw some Fruit- Bats once in the forest hanging to a sycamore-fig tree. No member of the groups of Insectivora came under my notice. The Carnivora in this country of big game are of course well represented. The Lion is very abundant and very bold ; but the Leopard is more feared by the natives than his larger ally. While stopping in Mandara's country two of that chief's subjects were killed by Leopards, one of them close to the frequented village-green. The Leopard ascends the mountain up to about 8000 feet, scarcely higher. I shot one of these creatures in the |