210 Wild Life in Central Africa. 



ANTBEAR (OR AARD VARK) (Orycteropus afer}: 



NATIVE NAMES. 



Chinyanja - - - Zimba. Chingoni - - Pendwa. 



Approximate weight ... ... ... i3olb. 



This is one of the strangest denizens of Africa, and it is 

 purely nocturnal in its habits. Its abandoned holes will be 

 seen all over this country, as it spends its time digging for 

 termites. It is not difficult to notice when it is " at home/' 

 as the earth will be seen to be newly dug, and the fresh 

 spoor of the animal's entrance will be seen. Then it has 

 to be dug out, which will take some time, as the earth is 

 often caked and hard. Its claws and paws must be very 

 powerful, considering the work it does, and, if any animal 

 works hard for its living, surely the antbear does. 



Its tongue is long and pendulous and covered with sticky 

 moisture, and it licks up the ants when it finds them in 

 quantities. The Boer name "aard vark" means "earthpig," 

 and in some ways it is not unlike a pig, as it has a long 

 snout. The colour is bluish grey, and it is almost hairless, and 

 the skin is thickly covered with a fatty substance which 

 makes it most difficult to cure, and the only way to preserve 

 it is to thin it down. I never saw one of these animals alive, 

 but I have seen three dead ones killed by the natives. 



I will now give a list of other animals and birds to be 

 found here. 



CHINYANJA. CHINGONI. 



Crocodile ... ... ... Nigona. Mwena. 



Baboon Nyani. Korwe. 



Monkey, common (i) Pusi. Nchasi. 



Monkey, dark coloured (2) ... Mchima. Seymango. 



Honey Badger ... ... Chuuli. Nsairi. 



Wild Cat ... ... ... Vumbwe. Ligora. 



Rusty Spotted Genet Mwiri. Simba. 



Reed Rat Mawpini. Mafondo. 



Large Shrew ... ... ... Sakwe. Tondo. 



Small Shrew Yidenga. Tondo. 



Stoat Lakongwe. Kakeedi. 



Porcupine ... ... ... Nungu. Nungo. 



Galago ... ... ... ... Changa. Chingwe. 



