Buffon's Natural History. Volume 09 (of 10): Containing a Theory of the Earth, a General History of Man, of the Brute Creation, and of Vegetables, Minerals, &c. &cBuffon, Georges Louis Leclerc, comte de
History
Buffon's Natural History. Volume 09 (of 10): Containing a Theory of the Earth, a General History of Man, of the Brute Creation, and of Vegetables, Minerals, &c. &c
Buffon, Georges Louis Leclerc, comte de
Natural history
the common name of ape, even in languages which have one name for apes
without tails, and another for apes which have tails. They are both
called by the name of _aff_ in German, and _ape_ in English; and it is
only among the Greeks that we find that each of these animals has a
proper name. The word cynocephalus is rather an adjective than a proper
substantive, for which reason we have not adopted it.
It appears from the testimonies of the ancients, that the pithecos, or
pigmy, was the most gentle and docile of all the ape species that were
known to them; and that it was common in Asia, as well as in Lybia,
and in the other provinces of Africa, frequented by the Greek and
Roman travellers. Therefore I presume that we must refer the following
passages of Leo Africanus, and Marmol to the pigmy. They say, that the
apes with long tails, which are seen in Mauritania, and are called
by the Africans _mones_, come from the negro country; but that those
without tails are found in great numbers, and are natives of the
mountains of Mauritania, Bugie, and Constantine. "These animals, says
Marmol, have feet and hands like a man, and, if I may be allowed the
expression, a human face; they have an appearance of much vivacity,
and seem very malicious. They live upon corn, herbs, and all sorts of
fruits, to obtain which they sally forth in large troops, to plunder
the gardens or fields; but before they venture out on these expeditions
one of the company ascends an eminence, and surveys the country round.
If there be no person near, he makes a signal by a cry, for his
companions to proceed, remaining himself, however, at his station: but
as soon as he perceives any one coming, he sets up a loud cry, and the
whole company scamper off with the utmost precipitation, and jumping
from tree to tree, retreat to the mountains. It is a great curiosity
to see these animals retreat; for the females carry four or five young
ones upon their backs, and with this heavy load, leap with great
agility from branch to branch; yet great numbers of them are taken,
by different snares, notwithstanding all their cunning. When they are
angry, they bite furiously, but by coaxing, they are easily tamed. They
do great damage to the gardens and fields, because they pluck, pull
down, and tear up, every thing that comes in their way, whether ripe
or not, and often destroy more than they can eat or carry away. Those
that are tamed, perform things almost incredible, and imitate almost
every human action!" Kolbe relates nearly the same facts with respect
to the apes of the Cape of Good Hope: but the description and figure
he gives of them, plainly prove they are baboons, having a short tail,
a long muzzle, sharp nails, &c. they are also much larger and stronger
than the apes of Mauritania. We may therefore presume, that Kolbe only
copied this passage from Marmol, and applied the natural habitudes of
the Mauritania pigmies to the baboons of the Cape of Good Hope.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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