I. 

 The Mammals of Kilima-njaro. 



GREAT interest attaches itself to Kilima-njaro, the mountain- 

 mass in which equatorial Africa attains its highest develop- 

 ment above the sea-level. At one time it was supposed, not 

 unreasonably, that the investigation of its flora and fauna would 

 materially assist in the solution of the problem of the former exten- 

 sion of northern forms of life into southern latitudes. Such has not 

 proved to be the case, so far as our explorations have at present gone. 

 But the study of the organic forms of Kilima-njaro, and of the high 

 district that surrounds it, has, nevertheless, resulted in the discovery 

 of many unexpected facts in distribution ; and the recent publication 

 of Mr. True's account of the mammals collected by a well-known 

 American explorer — Dr. Abbott — in that region (i), invites us to offer 

 a few remarks on that particular branch of its fauna. 



The snows of Kilima-njaro were first observed, as is well known, 

 by the German missionary, Rebmann, in 1848. Von der Decken, 

 New, Fischer, and Joseph Thomson were the next four explorers 

 who saw the mountain, and ascended its slopes to a greater or less 

 extent ; but, except some bundles of dried plants, and a few insects 

 and bird-skins' (obtained by Dr. Fischer), little if any information as 

 to its natural history was derived from these expeditions. In 1883 

 our ignorance of the fauna and flora of this specially interesting 

 district was brought before the Royal Society and British Association 

 by the writer, and a " Kilima-njaro Committee " was formed to 

 endeavour to improve our knowledge of this subject. The result of 

 the operations of this committee was the expedition of Mr. H. H. 

 Johnston, in 1884. Mr. Johnston's instructions were to proceed 

 direct to Kilima-njaro and pitch his camp there, high up, for six 

 months, and to collect as much as possible in the vicinity of the 

 snow-line. Unfortunately, Mr. Johnston, although he carried out 

 the committee's directions as far as possible, was hampered by want 

 of means. As he has explained to us in his most interesting and 

 attractive narrative (2), being unaccompanied by European collectors, 

 and failing to obtain the aid of native assistants, he was unable to 

 accomplish all that could have been wished, in spite of his well- 



1 Among these were the first specimens of Tuiacus havtlauhi — a fine Touraco 

 pecuUar to Kilima-njaro. 



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