Introduction -^ 



they can tell one many a true detail, they will mix up 

 the true and the false, the mythical and the labulous> 

 ^s readily as did our forefathers in these British Islands, 

 who could repeat in one natural-history book after another 

 the ridiculous story that barnacle-geese were produced 

 bv bivalve molluscs, or that swallows hibernated at 

 the bottoms of ponds, or that toads were found alive 

 after bein^' embedded in the rocks for countless centuries. 

 The natural historian of to-day must be an educated 

 man, not jumpini^- too rashly at conclusions, and not 

 even trusting" his own (;yes and ears too imi)licitlv, but 

 checkinof his information over and over aoain before he 

 gives it to the world. 



The writer of this Introduction has travelled niore widely 

 and extensively in Africa — even in b.ast Africa than 

 Herr Schillings ; Ijut his time and attention have often 

 been occupied by many other matters than natural history. 

 In his observations, therefore, on the lifediabits of these 

 East African birds and beasts he willingly retires into 

 the background, and would in almost all cases subscribe 

 without cavil to the correctness and \aluc; of Schillings'" 

 descriptions. He has. however, here and thcrt- \('nturedi 

 to correct his sijelling of Kast African words, where this, 

 through oversight or mishearing, has been incorrectly 

 rendered. I lerr Schillings has not been aljle to exccd in 

 every brcUich of African research, and has evideiuh' not 

 studied to any extent the; structure of' the Masai language 

 (a Nilotic Xegro tongue), or he woultl attach no im- 

 portanc-e to th(; theory of Captain Merker that the Masai 

 are a branch of" the Hebrew race. The writer of this 



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