ni-.i'onr i-noM riii-: coyco r.xi'F.niriox 45 



|)rol);il>lt' that tlu'sc aic llic larucst ami most iiii|)(»rtaiil cullcctioiis cxxt 

 iratliri'cd hy a single cNixMliinin in tlit- midst of the dense forest of the 

 (oii^o, and they rei)resent a eompleti'iiess of series that will Ix- surprisiiii:. 

 How true this is may he ascertained from the work with regard to the ukapi, 

 hnl all dei)artmeiits ha\c ei|nally prolited. 



All the skins have been safely stored away in the exix-dition's lar^^e 

 iraKanized iron tank originally hronuht in sections to A\aknlii, where 

 it has heen i)nl np in oik- of i he uox cnnnenl mai;a/,in(;s. The remainder of 

 onr collec-tions is stored in a goN i rnincnt magazine in Medje, which we onr- 

 selves have lately made fireproof l)y constructing a ceiling of beams and 

 sticks, covered with reeds and a layer of soil. 



The record for large mammals is as follows: 402 specimens covering 

 oO species = a nearly complete series of the larger manunals of the dense 

 Congo forest, 20(5 pages of descriptions, "(i skeletons, a large collection of 

 foetal specimens, IS plaster casts and many photograj)hs. 



For nearly six months we camped as close as possible to the haunts 

 of the okapi and though we profited by the skill of the most exi^erienced 

 native trappers, who were engaged in catching okapi for food piu'poses, 

 during the first two nuniths we secured no reasonable success. The sui)er- 

 stition of the natives, and the hot moist climate, counteracted ovu" best 

 organized efforts. After interminable palavers, however, the native trappers 

 consented to allow our native assistants, who were trained to skin large 

 mammals independently, to camj) with them in the forest. 



Therefore we established three camps at a distance of fifteen to twenty- 

 fi\ e miles from our main camp, thus adopting the native system of hunting 

 in small parties, for in these perfectly miinhabited forests it is an impossi- 

 bility to provide suitable food for any large company of men. Whenever 

 the native trappers succeede<l in killing an okapi, some of them would march 

 day and night toward our main camp. In the meantime our native assist- 

 ants who camped with them would take off the skin and cure it as much 

 as possible until I could reach the place. Within two months from the time 

 of organization of this plan, we had added to the two skeletons of male ami 

 female already obtained, three ])erfect skins of females and that of a young 

 okapi. 



Two months later we at last succeeded in obtaining a good size(l male. 

 This okapi like all the others had been caught by a noo.se around the foot, 

 but in an almost impenetrable swamp. T'nfortunately in its struggles 

 to free it.self, it rubbed a portion of the skin, which howexcr can easily 

 be repaired. 



The following month we seeiu'cd th<' accessories for the group on the 

 very same spot where one of the males had e\j)ired. which chanced to be 



