^ Fauna : Mammals 



type described by Mr. Rothschild as .V. pygm.eus leucoprymnus. 

 I append for the information of those who may be studying 

 locally the zoology of Liberia the definitions of Simla pygmaus 

 fusciis and Simla pygm.eus leucoprymnus} 



The Americo-Liberians call the chimpanzee "baboon," 

 generally pronouncing the word hahhoon. This leads to a great 

 deal of confusion in the accounts given by Liberians or even of 

 Americans of journeys in the interior forests, wherein allusions 

 are often made to the terror or the respect which the natives 

 feel for the "baboon" (meaning chimpanzee), or to that most 

 weird experience of the African forest, the yells and cries and 

 shouts of the chimpanzees. In reference to this last characteristic 

 of the animal, Dr. Ernest Lyon, the American Minister m 

 Liberia, writes in February, 1905 : "The only animal which 

 the native [he is here referring to the Kpwesi tribe] seems to 

 fear is the ' baboon.' He will entrap an elephant, chase a 

 leopard, and pursue a hippopotamus ; but he will fly in mad 

 haste from the hideous yells of a [chimpanzee], which resemble 

 the cry of a man in distress. This sound unnerves him, and 

 despite his reputation for courage he will desert you in the 

 densest forest. Our party had an illustration of this during 

 the trip. When in the midst of the thick bush, ten miles away 

 from any settlement, we heard this doleful noise, which we 

 mistook for the cry of distress of some misguided traveller, 

 the natives came to a halt. They knew what it was, and in 

 their discomfiture started to leave us in the thickest forest ; 



1 The brief description oi Simla Pygvurus fuscus {X\.^ Gold Coast chimpanzee) 

 is- "Face pale flesh colonr, ears not large, blunt, flat at the top; hair of head 

 spreading from central whorl (without a middle parting), beard whitish mi chu: 

 below chin beard is entire and long. Hair of body reddish brown. Simm 

 Pygm<,us leucoprymnus {Liberian chimpanzee) is: "Hair on head sparse, partea 

 through the middle, head and body hair black, except chin hairs which are brownish , 

 ears are large ; beard short and thick." 



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