Part 63

Mr. Darwin, in describing the expression of pleasure, joy, and affection in Monkeys, observed that, when they were pleased, the form of the lips differed a little from that when they were angered. In the case of an Anubis Baboon which was first {268}insulted and put into a furious rage by his keeper, who afterwards made friends with him, Mr. Darwin relates that, "as the reconciliation was effected, the Baboon rapidly moved up and down his jaws and lips, and looked pleased. When we laugh heartily, a similar movement or quiver may be observed more or less distinctly in our jaws; but with Man the muscles of the chest are more particularly acted on; whilst with this Baboon, and with some other Monkeys, it is the muscles of the jaws and lips which are spasmodically affected."

VII. THE THOTH BABOON. PAPIO THOTH.

Cynocephalus thoth, Ogilby, P. Z. S., 1843, p. 11; Frazer, Zool. Typica, pl. 5; Gray, Cat. Monkeys Brit. Mus., p. 35 (1870).

Cynocephalus babuin (nec Desm.), Rüpp., Neue Wirbelth. Säugeth., p. 7 (1835-1840).

? Papio hamadryas, Schl., Mus. Pays Bas, vii., p. 129, 1876, in part.

CHARACTERS.--MALE.--Body massive, thick-set; face broad; cheekbones protuberant; the nostrils placed at the extremity of the truncated snout; nose as long as, but not exceeding, the upper lip. Hair of head and neck longer and thicker than on the rest of the body, but not forming a mantle-like mane as in C. hamadryas; the hair of the legs and outer portion of the thighs and of the toes long; whiskers not intruding far on the face, and directed backwards, less copious than in the Arabian Baboon; ears naked, pointed; soles and palms also naked; callosities large, hips naked. Tail nearly the length of the body, not tufted at the termination.

In colour somewhat similar to C. sphinx, and closely allied to C. babuin. Face livid flesh-colour, lighter on the ridge of {269}the nose. General colour of fur on back, sides of body, and outer side of limbs olive-green; on the under side of the body and inner side of the limbs light yellowish-green; breast, throat, and under part of chin silvery-grey; whiskers silvery-grey; ears, palms of hands, and soles of feet dark brown; callosities flesh-coloured; the surrounding naked parts purple-brown.

DISTRIBUTION.--Abyssinia.

HABITS.--Little or nothing is known of this species. It was obtained in Abyssinia by Dr. Rüppell. A specimen was exhibited alive, however, in the Zoological Gardens of London in 1843.

VIII. THE EAST AFRICAN BABOON. PAPIO IBEANUS.

Papio thoth ibeanus, Oldfield Thomas, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., xi., p. 46 (1893).

DISTRIBUTION.--Lamu, East Africa.

Mr. Oldfield Thomas has described this sub-species, which has remarkably coarse and shaggy fur all over the body, longer than in the typical form, and of a blackish and dull tawny white, without any of its brighter yellow; the hairs on the crown of the head broadly ringed with black; the chin and throat whitish; hairs of the chest ringed with black and white; the belly black and dull fawn; the inner side of the fore-limbs like the chest, and of the hind-limbs clearer and less ringed fawn-colour. Length of the body, 33½ inches; of the tail 24 inches.

IX. THE GUINEA BABOON. PAPIO SPHINX.

Le papion, F. Cuvier, Mamm., vol. i., livr. 6 (); livr. 7 ([female]), Hist. Nat. (1819).

Papio sphinx, Geoffr., Ann. Mus., xix., p. 103 (1812); Schl., Mus. Pays Bas, vii., p. 127 (1876).

{270}Cynocephalus papio, Desmar., Mamm., p. 69 (1820).

Cynocephalus choras, Ogilby, P. Z. S., 1843, p. 12.

Papio rubescens, Temm., Esquisses Zool., p. 39 (1853); Schl., t. c. p. 28.

Cynocephalus sphinx, Gray, Cat. Monkeys, Brit. Mus., p. 35 (1870).

CHARACTERS.--MALE.--Snout tapering, longer than the upper lip; face, ears, palms and soles of feet naked; whiskers bushy, directed backwards, nearly hiding the quadrangular ears; tail of the form usual in this genus, shorter than the body. Hair on back of the neck longer than on the body; facial ridges present, but not very prominent; hinder part of belly, inside of limbs, and chin, throat, and breast very scantily haired.

Face, ears, naked parts of hands and feet, black; upper eyelids white; fur of head, back, and limbs in general brownish-yellow--the hairs being ringed with alternate bars of black and light-brown; cheeks and whiskers fawn-coloured; throat and under side of body paler. Scrotum, callosities, and naked parts of buttocks bright flesh-coloured, but not so bright as in C. hamadryas. Length of body (in young male), 27 inches; of tail, 20 inches.

FEMALE AND YOUNG MALE.--Similar to adult males in coloration; but less thick-set, and with a shorter muzzle.

DISTRIBUTION.--The Guinea Baboon inhabits West Africa from Senegal and the Niger to Central Africa. In East Africa, Mr. H. H. Johnston observed it in the inhabited region of Kilimanjaro.

HABITS.--Little is known of the habits of this species; but it is improbable that it departs widely from those of the other {271}members of the genus. In regard to the bright coloration of the callosities and posterior parts of this and other Baboons, Mr. Darwin remarks: "In the discussion on sexual selection in my 'Descent of Man,' no case interested and perplexed me so much as the highly-coloured hinder ends and adjoining parts of certain Monkeys. As these parts are more brightly coloured in one sex than the other, and as they become more brilliant during the season of love, I concluded that the colours had been gained as a sexual attraction.... I had, however, at that time no evidence of Monkeys exhibiting this part of their bodies during their courtship.... I have lately read [in an article by J. von Fischer, of Gotha, published in April, 1876] an account of the behaviour of a young male Mandrill when he first beheld himself in a looking-glass, and it is added, that after a time he turned round and presented his red hinder end to the glass. Accordingly I wrote to Herr J. von Fischer to ask what he supposed was the meaning of this strange action. He says that he was himself at first perplexed ... and was thus led carefully to observe several individuals of various other species of Monkeys, which he has long kept in his house. He finds that not only the Mandrill (C. mormon) but the Drill (C. leucophæus) and three other kinds of Baboons (C. hamadryas, C. sphinx, and C. babuin) ... turn this part of their bodies, which in all these species is more or less brightly coloured, to him when they are pleased, and to other persons as a sort of greeting.... From these facts von Fischer concludes that the Monkeys which behaved in this manner before a looking-glass ... acted as if their reflection were a new acquaintance.... It deserves especial attention that von Fischer has never seen any species purposely exhibit the hinder part of its body, if not at all {272}coloured.... With respect to the origin of the habit, it seems to me probable that the bright colours, whether on the face or hinder end, or as in the Mandrill, on both, serve as a sexual ornament and attraction.... The fact that it is only the Monkeys (with those parts brightly coloured), which as far as at present known, act in this manner as a greeting towards other Monkeys, renders it doubtful whether the habit was first acquired from some independent cause, and that afterwards the parts in question were coloured as a sexual ornament; or whether the colouring and the habit of turning round were first acquired through variation and sexual selection, and that afterwards the habit was retained as a sign of pleasure, or as a greeting, through the principle of inherited association."

X. THE ARABIAN BABOON. PAPIO HAMADRYAS.

Simia hamadryas, Linn., Syst. Nat., i., p. 36 (1766).

Le tartarin, F. Cuvier and Geoffr., Mamm., vol. i., livr. 5 (1819).