ZOOLOGICAL 

 SOCIETY BITLLETIN 



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Urtiihrr. 1H06 



AN AFRICAN PIGMY 



Ox Sei)teinber 9, a genuine African pig- 

 my, belonging to the sub-race com- 

 monly miscalled "'tlie dwarfs," was 

 employed in the Zoological Park. His name 

 is Ota Iknga, and he was brought to Amer- 

 ica by Mr. Samuel P. \erner. an .Vmerican 

 explorer and collector. His height is four 

 feet eleven inches, he is about twenty-three 

 years old, weighs 103 pounds, and has been 

 married twice. His first wife was stolen by a 

 tribe of hostile savages, and his second wife 

 died from the bite of a poisonous snake. 



Ota Benga is a well-developed little man, 

 with a good head, bright e\es and a pleasing 

 ciiuntenance. He is not liair\'. and is mit cii\- 



ered by the "downy fell" described by some 

 explorers. His skin is as free from hair as 

 that of a typical European. He has much 

 manual skill, and is quite expert in the mak- 

 ing of hammocks and nets. He is happiest 

 when at work, making something with his 

 hands. 



In 1904 he was found by Mr. N'erner on 

 one of the southern tributaries of the Congo, 

 a captive in the hands of a tribe of cannibal- 

 istic savages known as the Baschilde. The ex- 

 act locality was the confluence of the Kasai 

 and Sankmir Rivers. Upper Congo. Know- 

 ing that this tribe sometimes sacrifices their 

 sla\es, and sumctinies eats them. .Mr. X'crner. 



