300 THE ODYSSEY OF AN ANIMAL COLLECTOR 
this case are born in an embryonic state of development and ma- 
ture in the mother’s pouch. 
In October 1945, soon after my arrival from Kenya, the Council 
of the Zoological Society appointed me as Curator-Collector, and 
I thereby became the first official collector in the history of the 
London Zoo. 
It was decided to send me back to Kenya to get an even bigger 
load of animals, so I returned in the winter of 1945-46. 
Traveling out in the appallingly overcrowded conditions that 
prevailed generally in the immediate post-war years, I thought 
that Mombasa Harbor looked more beautiful than ever before, 
probably because it heralded the opportunity of spreading out 
and getting away from sweaty humanity. 
My light luggage I took with me to Nairobi, but the heavy 
stuff, including collapsible cages, tools, cage-fronts, nets, camping 
equipment, and a bicycle, I put in the hands of an agent to for- 
ward immediately by goods train. It was all in the customs shed 
and quite safe, so I thought. A couple of weeks passed and no word 
of my baggage, so J telegraphed the agent. His reply was to the 
effect that he had not seen the luggage since I left, and had pre- 
sumed that I had changed my mind and taken it with me. 
Inquiries were then made through the Port authorities, and after 
I had raised heaven and earth the baggage was traced to Durban! 
Although every piece had my name and Nairobi stencilled on it 
in large print, some clerk had put it on a boat to Durban by 
mistake. The outcome was that I got my precious belongings 
over six weeks late. 
The bicycle was to replace one that I had borrowed on the 
previous trip and which had been stolen. At this time some of the 
town-dwelling Africans had developed a highly organized racket 
in this line. Being fully conscious of this, I stood my bicycle 
against the curb right in front of a refreshment-bar, and while 
sipping my morning tea I took good care to keep my eye on the 
bicycle. But in came a friend who slapped me on the back and 
asked me a few questions. Less than a minute later I looked 
round to see if there was any suspicious character eying my bicycle, 
but to my astonishment it was gone—clean out of sight. 
