Liberia V 



The pointed scales are of great assistance to the animal 

 in climbing or in retaining its hold of any rough surface to 

 which it is affixed. Mr. L. Fraser, who was the first naturalist 

 to record observations of the life habits of Mams tricuspis (about 

 fifteen years ago), describes the power which this particular 

 species possesses of using its sharp-clawed hind-feet and long 

 tail (with its pointed scales) as a tripod support on the vertical 

 trunks of trees. With the tail firmly adpressed against the bark 

 of- the tree, and the claws of the hind-feet grasping the same 

 surface, the little manis could throw back its body in an 

 almost horizontal position, the front feet being closely tucked 

 up under the head. In this way it might sometimes remain 

 perfectly immoble, deceiving any casual observer into the belief 

 that it was merely a blunt end of a branch projecting from 

 the tree ; or if it had no object in feigning immobility, it would 

 sway itself backwards and forwards round half a circle without 

 dislodging the grip of its tail. The same observer noticed that 

 this manis would curl itself up into a ball and fall from a height 

 of twenty feet to the ground without sustaining any injury, 

 owing to the elasticity of the semi-erect scales, which caused its 

 rolled-up body to bounce like a ball. 



There are four species of Manis in West Africa, of which 

 three at any rate are found within the limits of Liberia, these 

 being the gigantic manis (M. gigantea), the long-tailed manis 

 (M. longicaudata\ and the white- or hairy-bellied manis (M. 

 tricuspis}. The fourth African manis (M. temmincki\ which is 

 distinguished from the other African forms by its very thick 

 and relatively short tail, is present outside the region of dense 

 forests in some parts of West Africa, and ranges over the rest 

 of the continent south of the Sahara as far east as Zanzibar 

 and as far south as Natal. 



The Gigantic Manis is quite a large beast, perhaps as 



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