MONKEYS 



of the colobus. I found hundreds of skins ready for 

 shipment to Europe by Greek and Indian traders. A 

 missionary tokl me that he himself had hunted eighty 

 animals within a month to seh their fur, for which he 

 received from one to two dollars apiece. Indeed, a 

 noble occupation to fill the leisure hours of a mis- 

 sionary ! 



On the coast of West Africa exists a species of mon- 

 key resembling the colobus. Its fur was "in fashion" 

 some years ago, and hundreds of thousands of the ani- 

 mals were exported to Europe to satisfy a passing fancy. 

 To be sure, a tax is now levied on every fur. If it could 

 be collected in those wild regions it might prove re- 

 strictive. As conditions now are it can easily be evaded, 

 and the hunt goes on merrily and will soon exterminate 

 this attractive animal. I found on my expeditions 

 through those mountain forests many of the poisoned 

 arrows, as thin as knitting-needles, which the natives 

 had shot in hunting the guereza in order to sell its val- 

 uable fur to the traders. 



Before the European invasion the natives hunted 

 the "mbega" only because its fur was used by the 

 Masai-El Morane — the warriors — to adorn their ankles. 

 In former years young "mbegas" were captured to 

 be raised and sent to Europe, but none of the young 

 animals reached their destination alive. I therefore 

 decided to capture an adult "mbega," and I succeeded in 

 slightly wounding and in capturing an adult animal. 



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