488 THE PYCiMIES OF THE GREAT 0()N(JO FOREST. 



able leng'th. The hair on the bod}' is reall}- of two Iviiids. There is, 

 first, in man}' of the dwarfs — men and women — a sur\'ival in the adult 

 of that hair which appears in the fetus in all human races, a soft 

 brownish down. In addition to this survival of prehuman hair, the 

 dwarfs possess, very often markedly, a development of hair that is 

 peculiarlj" associated witli the human species — namely, a fairly thick 

 growth over the chest and stomach, in the armpits, and in the pubic 

 region; also on the arms and legs. It is on the under parts of the 

 body, curiously enough, that apes and monkevs tend to a decrease of 

 hair. It is therefore somewhat curious that where bod}' hair most 

 frequently appears in the human race, it should be so often on the 

 under side of the body, where (especially in the slightly stooping atti- 

 tude which earl 3^ man assumed) the hair is of less protection to the 

 skin from the rain than if it grow on the back. In the p3'gmies this 

 human ))ody hair on the chest and stomach is black or blackish brown, 

 and curly, like the hair of the head. 



The dwarfs seldom wear an3^thing in the wa3' of ornament, and go 

 about in their forests quite naked; but when in contact with negroes 

 who wear a certain amount of clothing, the dwarfs will put on an apron 

 of leaves or bark cloth sulhcient to serve the purposes of decency. 

 Their ears are not pierced. The only aesthetic adornment which they 

 appear to adopt is the piercing of two holes in the upper lip. (Tliis 

 can be clearly' seen in the head and bust of a dwarf woman.) Into the 

 punctures the3' insert iiow^rs, teeth, or porcupint^ (juills. 



HOW THEY JAYY. IN THE FOREST. 



The dwarfs are excessiveh' shv in the forest, and are only visited 

 with the greatest difficulty. The3' usually seem at the present da3' to 

 attach themselves in thiMr conmmnities to the outskirts of the tribes 

 of big negroes, with whom they usually cnti'r into friendh' relations. 

 For a white man to see them in their homes it requires that one of 

 these big negroes who is in friendly relations witli the pygmies should 

 go out into the forest and call to them loudly and repeatedly before a 

 P3'gmy has suflicient confidence to show himself. Once theii' confi- 

 dence is gained they will, no doul)t, come in numbers. Even then it 

 is extremely difficult to make inquiries of them concerning their life 

 and customs. 



The Congo p3'gmies keep no domestic animals, and do not practice 

 agriculture. They live entindy ])y hunting, and cat the ilcsh of mon- 

 keys, of almost all other beasts, and ))irds, which they capture in their 

 snares or shoot with their arrows, and thev also feed on c(n'tain grubs, 

 on hone3', and on the bee grubs found in the honeycomli. Tlu^v range 

 the forests far and wide, indiilerent Avhether they l()s(> thcdr wa;'' or 

 not, since the3^ sleep and feed in the forests and are in a sense alwa3\s 



