BABOON, hfib-Mte (OF. baboin, Fr. babonin, Med. Lat. baheteynus: ef. Ger. Pavian: origin unknown). An African or Arabian eereopithecid monkey of the 'dog-faced' genus Cymicephalus. Bah/ions are of large size, covered with long. dark hair, and have very large, brilliantly colored callosities upon the buttocks: but arc chietly dis tinguished by the elongated, blunt muzzle, with the nostrils in the end, giving the profile a re semIda nee to that of a dog. This is heightened by the prominence of the canine teeth. which in adult males become most formidable tusks, effective against the largest of their enemies among the wild beasts. This physiognomy, often gaudily colored, is repulsive and fear-inspiring, and seems to indicate the fierceness of their character; yet baboons rarely, if ever, have at tacked human beings unprovoked. The fore and hind limbs in this group are of similar size, so that they walk easily and gallop swiftly on the ground, and move about rocks with extreme agility; they climb trees with greater difficulty, and as a rule keep on the ground and away from forested regions. All the species are gregarious,
assembling in large troops, conducted and guarded by the elders, who are exceedingly watch ful against danger. They feed mainly on fruits, berries, buds, roots, and the soft wood of certain trees, but vary this fare with insects, grubs, snails, bird's eggs, lizards, etc. By raiding plan tations in troops they may do immense damage to crops, ruthlessly destroying more than they eat, and stuffing their capacious cheek-pouches full of food to carry away. Such hands arc too formidable to be easily driven away by half armed natives. Baboons are rarely hunted for sport, and still less often captured. though partly domesticable when young: and the ancient Egyp tians seem to have trained them to pick fruit, etc. Nevertheless, no monkeys are less tractable or fierce than these: and in the safety of large troops they will resist and sometimes vanquish even the leopard. In fighting they usually stand erect, but otherwise keep always upon all fours. (if the various species the following are best known: