-♦) 



Apes and Monkeys 



ticks fasten exclusively on to the eyelids, and cause bad 

 festering sores. 



Many years ago I found a large number of mbegas in 

 the Kahe and Aruscha-Chini oases, which are connected 

 with the Kilimanjaro highlands by permanent water- 

 courses and high trees. But, as Prof Hans Meyer 

 remarked, they are distinguished from the guerezas of 

 the mountains by their shorter hair. 



I was informed that these monkeys were not hunted 

 by the natives, as they were considered sacred. But in 

 1896 the hunting Askaris of the Moshi station were not 

 long able to withhold their rifles from this harmless animal. 

 They went out on monkey-hunting expeditions lasting for 

 several days. Now the animal is a rarity — if any are to 

 be found at all. 



In 1900 I shot three mbegas ot the Kahe oasis, taking 

 three days to do it, for the Berlin Museum. Not only here, 

 but everywhere on the mountains a rigorous pursuit haL. 

 lately been organised. I frequently found traders, Greeks 

 as well as Indians, with manv hundred of mbeoa-skins 

 ready to be sent to Europe. A missionary amused him- 

 self in his spare time by bringing down good specimens 

 ot this monkey, worth seven shillings apiece. He told me 

 he managed to kill as many as eighty in one month ! 



A monkey very similar to the white-tailed guereza is 

 found in West Africa, which some years ago was much in 

 vogue, and of which, according to official reports, several 

 hundred thousands were exported. It will not be long 

 before the supplies in the isolated and not over-extensive 

 forests of Kilimanjaro and the Meru Mountains are 



543 



