Liberia 



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mainly archasan and primary. But to these forests have come 

 for refuge the beasts, birds, and reptiles developed in Europe 

 and Asia during the Miocene — middle — period of the Tertiary 

 Epoch. If North Africa is "Prehistoric" and "Pleistocene" in 

 its existing mammals, Tropical Africa is mainly " Pliocene " ; 

 and Liberia and similar parts of West Africa are " Miocene." 



The Chimpanzee has long been noted as a Liberian mammal. 

 It seems to have been commonest on the coast in the territories 

 between Sherbro and Cape Mount. It is found at the present 

 day wherever there is primeval forest in Liberia, and speci- 

 mens are frequently sent to the coast from the Cavalla River. 

 According to the stories of the natives (which are well 

 summarised and confirmed by the researches of Biittikofer and 

 his companions), although the Chimpanzee, possibly of two 

 varieties or sub-species, is found throughout Liberia (except 

 actually in the long-cultivated settlements near the coast;, it has 

 no fixed residence, but seems to be constantly in movement from 

 place to place in search of food. The natives state that the 

 females do not give birth to their young in the trees, nor do they 

 build shelters there, as has been related of them in other parts 

 ot Africa. But in Liberia the migratory life of the chimpanzee 

 would appear to be led commonly on the ground, amongst the 

 dense cover afforded by the herbaceous plants and bushes. These 

 apes apparently only take to the trees when molested by man or 

 when they ascend them for the purpose of plucking fruits or nuts. 



The young chimpanzees are not infrequently caught by the 

 natives and brought to the coast for sale, where they find eager 

 purchasers. According to Biittikofer, whose statements are 

 always carefully made, the natives reported that although adult 

 chimpanzees are untamable, young ones might be actually 

 domesticated, and would show the tenderest afi^ection for those 



6.74 



