-* Fauna : Mammals 



type describe! by Mr. Rothschild as \. f>\x>n.rus leucoprymtiHs. 

 I append tor the information of those who may be studying 

 loyally the zoology of Liberia the definitions of Simla pygmtus 

 fuse us and Simiti pygm<eus leucoprymnus* 



The Americo-Libcrians call the chimpan/ee "baboon," 

 generally pronouncing the word babboon. This leads to a great 

 deal of confusion in the accounts given by Liberians or even of 

 Americans of journeys in the interior forests, wherein allusions 

 are often made to the terror or the respect which the nat 

 feel for the u baboon " (meaning chimpanzee), or to that most 

 weird experience of the African forest, the yells and cries and 

 shouts of the chimpanzees. In reference to this last characteristic 

 of the animal, Dr. Ernest Lyon, the American Minister in 

 Liberia, writes in February, 1905 : " The only animal which 

 the native [he is here referring to the Kpwesi tribe] seems to 

 fear is the l baboon.' He will entrap an elephant, chase a 

 leopard, and pursue a hippopotamus ; but he will fly in mad 

 haste from the hideous yells of a [chimpanzee], which resemble 

 the cry of a man in distress. This sound unnerves him, and 

 despite his reputation for courage he will desert you in the 

 densest forest. Our party had an illustration of this during 

 the trip. When in the midst of the thick bush, ten miles away 

 from any settlement, we heard this doleful noise, which we 

 mistook for the cry of distress of some misguided traveller, 

 the natives came to a halt. They knew what it was, and in 

 their discomfiture started to leave us in the thickest forest ; 



1 The brief description olSlnUapygnunttfuscus (the Gold Coast chimpanzee) 

 is : " Face pale flesh colour, ears not large, blunt, flat at the top ; hair of head 

 spreading from central whorl (without a middle parting), beard whitish on chin, 

 below chin beard is entire and long. Hair of body reddish brown." Sinn'n 

 pygma-us leucoprymnus (Liber ian chimpanzee) is: "Hair on head sparse, parted 

 through the middle, head and body hair black, except chin hairs which are brownish ; 

 ears are large ; beard short and thick." 



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