M o n k i e s .
The fierce and malignant Lion-tailed B. N° 106, is met with
in fbme parts o f this peninfula.
O f true monkies, the elegant fpecies the Green, N° 113; the
Talapoin, N° 117 ; a black variety of the white eye-lid monkey,
N* 114: the thumb of that in Lady Impey’s, eolleflion had no
flat nail, the reft of the toes clawed ; the Monea, N* 120, and
the Tawny, N° 126, a malevolent fpecies, are all found in
India.
T h e r e are certainly other fpecies of large fize, and very
dangerous when infulted. lavernier was once in great danger
o f being killed by a troop of them he met with in fome woods
near Amedabad. He was in company with the prefident of
Surat, who prevaled on him to try a new fowling piece on one
o f the tribe. He accordingly fhot a female, who fell dead on
the boughs. The whole troop, to the number of fixty, de-
fcended inftantly, and made an attempt to go into the prefi-
dent’s coach. They would have afluredly deftroyed him, had
they not been by the numbers of his fervants beaten away; yet
they perfifted following the carriage above a league.
Tavernier gives an account o f a ridiculous fpecies o f conteft,
which he had feen a few leagues from Madras, in the public
roads, cut through the forefts of Bamboos, &c. in which the
apes or monkies breed in great numbers. “ In feveral parts of
“ this road,” fays the traveller, “ there is rice to be fold, and
“ they that would fee the fport, caufe five or fix balkets of rice
“ to be fet up in the road, forrie forty or fifty paces one from
“ the other; and clofe by every baiket they lay five or fix
44 battoons
“ b a t to o n s a b o u t tw o f o o t lo n g , a n d tw o in c h e s a b o u t ; t h e n
“ t h e y r e t i r e a n d h id e th em f e lv e s ; p r e f e n t ly t h e y ih a l l f e e t h e
“ ap e s o n b o th fid e s o f t h e w a y d e f c e n d f r o m th e ' to p s o f t h e
“ b am b o o s , a n d a d v a n c e to w a r d s t h e b a ik e t s w h i c h a r e f u l l o f
44 r i c e . T h e y a r e a b o u t h a l f a n h o u r ih eW in g t h e i r t e e t h o n e
“ a t t h e o th e r b e fo r e t h e y c om e n e a r t h e b a i k e t s ; fom e t im e s
“ t h e y a d v a n c e , th e n r e t r e a t a g a in , b e in g lo a th t o e n c o u n t e r .
“ At length the female baboons, who are more courageous
44 than the males, efpecially thofe that have young ones, which
44 they carry in their arms as women do their children, venture
“ to approach the baikets, and as they are about to put in their
“ heads to eat, the males on the one fide advance to hinder
“ them. Immediately the other party comes forward, and thus
44 the feud being kindled on both fides, they take up the bat-
44 toons that lie by the baikets, and thraih one another in good
44 earneft. The weakeft are conftrained to fly into the woods,
“ with their pates broken and their limbs maimed, while the
44 matters of the field glut themfelves with rice. Though it
44 may be when their bellies are full, they will fuffer fome o f
“ the female party to come and partake with them.”
T h e d o g s o f India a r e g e n e r a l ly o f t h e c u r r i ih k in d , w i t h Docs.
{harp ere£t ears and pointed nofes. Thofe kept by the pariars,
or poorer people, are fmall. Thofe kept by the Polygars refem-
ble the others in form, but are o f a confiderable fize, and fmooth
haired, and are ufed by their mafter in the chace o f the wild
boars, and perhaps others of the fiercer animals. Every dog in
India is as much the objecft o f charity with the Mahometans as
they are in Europe. Ahbar had his hunting eftabliihment, he
9 collefted