The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, Vol. IDarwin, Charles
Science
The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, Vol. I
Darwin, Charles
Evolution (Biology); Human beings -- Origin; Sex differences; Sexual dimorphism (Animals); Sexual selection in animals
We see maternal affection exhibited in the most trifling details; thus
Rengger observed an American monkey (a Cebus) carefully driving away the
flies which plagued her infant; and Duvaucel saw a Hylobates washing the
faces of her young ones in a stream. So intense is the grief of female
monkeys for the loss of their young, that it invariably caused the death
of certain kinds kept under confinement by Brehm in N. Africa.
Orphan-monkeys were always adopted and carefully guarded by the other
monkeys, both males and females. One female baboon had so capacious a
heart that she not only adopted young monkeys of other species, but
stole young dogs and cats, which she continually carried about. Her
kindness, however, did not go so far as to share her food with her
adopted offspring, at which Brehm was surprised, as his monkeys always
divided everything quite fairly with their own young ones. An adopted
kitten scratched the above-mentioned affectionate baboon, who certainly
had a fine intellect, for she was much astonished at being scratched,
and immediately examined the kitten’s feet, and without more ado bit off
the claws. In the Zoological Gardens, I heard from the keeper that an
old baboon (_C. chacma_) had adopted a Rhesus monkey; but when a young
drill and mandrill were placed in the cage, she seemed to perceive that
these monkeys, though distinct species, were her nearer relatives, for
she at once rejected the Rhesus and adopted both of them. The young
Rhesus, as I saw, was greatly discontented at being thus rejected, and
it would, like a naughty child, annoy and attack the young drill and
mandrill whenever it could do so with safety; this conduct exciting
great indignation in the old baboon. Monkeys will also, according to
Brehm, defend their master when attacked by any one, as well as dogs to
whom they are attached, from the attacks of other dogs. But we here
trench on the subject of sympathy, to which I shall recur. Some of
Brehm’s monkeys took much delight in teasing, in various ingenious ways,
a certain old dog whom they disliked, as well as other animals.
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