Their canine teeth are almost as formidable as those of the Tiger, yet they are said to live entirely on vegetable diet, and to be so fond of fruit that they sometimes seriously destroy orchards and gardens.
It is usually during the night that they make their thieving excursions, and they take great care to ensure the success of their stealing. When the troop arrives at the scene of action, it divides into three companies, one enters the orchard or garden, while those of the second division place themselves as sentinels to give warning of the approach of danger, while a third division establishes itself in the rear and forms a long line extending from the other troops to their home in a neighboring mountain. When all these arrangements are completed, those who have broken into the orchard or garden throw the produce of their thieving to the nearest sentinels, who pass it on to those behind, and thus in a very short time it is handed along the line and stored in a safe place at the end, until there has been enough secured to make a feast for the entire troop. While thus engaged, if one of the sentinels raises a cry of alarm, the whole body will scamper off to their hiding places.
THE MANDRILLS—THE BRILLIANT MONKEYS.
MANDRILL.
The Mandrills are distinguished by their very short tails, and by deep wrinkles on each side of the nose which are often brilliantly colored. There are two species living in Western Africa which are known as the Mandrill and the Drill.
The Drill is very much like the Mandrill except that its face is completely black instead of being striped with color; and it also inhabits Guinea.
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.