142 ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCHES 



idea of our hunting grounds , the scene of our nine months' 

 stay at Bavia and Sofore Place, on the banks of 

 the St. Pauls River. 



It was on the S'^^ of January 1880 that my companion C. 

 F. Sala and I landed at Monrovia, the Capital of Libe- 

 ria , and were kindly received by the Dutch Consul , Mr. 

 Wigman and his Assistant Veldkamp as well as by the 

 Liberian Authorities , to whom we were recommanded by the 

 Dutch Government. As the dry season was already much 

 advanced, we prepared with the greatest speed for our 

 first excursion to the interior, for which I selected the 

 forest-regions along the St. Pauls River, notwithstanding 

 the warnings of our new acquaintances who told us no 

 good about the character of the native tribes, especially 

 of the Golahs, who inhabit the banks of this river. 

 After a nine days stay at Monrovia we left this place in 

 a boat belonging to the Dutch factory, manned with 

 about 10 Kroo-boys, and reached, by the Stockton Creek 

 and the St. Pauls River, long after sunset the Station of 

 Mr. Day , an American Missionary at Mühlenburg Mission 

 near the first rapids. 



As the river is , on account of its numerous rapids and 

 falls , not navigable beyond Mr. Day's station , we engaged , 

 with the aid of Mr. Day, a sufficient number of carriers 

 and proceded to Bavia, a small Golah toAvn on the right 

 bank of the St. Paul , about four hours march from Mühlen- 

 burg, through primeval forest, Avhich began shortly after 

 we had left the mission. 



Here we staid till the end of March. The whole river 

 was , at that time , covered with rocky islands and banks , 

 the abode of Glareola megapoda. A small canoe, which af- 

 terwards got lost in a waterfall , enabled us to visit these 

 islands and the forests on the opposite bank. Except some 

 farms , belonging to Bavia and the surrounding so-called 

 half-towns, the whole country was covered with high forest. 

 I*fotes froixx tlxe ILteydea ]\£useuxu, Vol. VII. 



