ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



1611 



One step within tin 



BULL OKAPI TRAPI'BD IN THE ITUR1 KOKEST 



fatal circle of the trap unfailingly delivers this noble game into tin 



for the rattan rope, as here shown, holds it by the foot. 



just in time to encourage me to hasten arrange- 

 ments for the completion of the survey in the 

 forest regions. Through the assistance of 

 Akenge. a powerful Azande chief, I hoped to 

 fill in the gaps in the collections. He was going 

 on one of his annual hunting trips on which the 

 natives procured stores of meat for the sultan's 

 larder. Four days to the south we arrived at 

 the village of his son. Abawe, who. according to 

 Azande custom, left at once, abandoning wives, 

 children, and all he owned to his father, as a 

 sign of his reverence. On this great occasion 

 gongs signalled throughout the night, asking, 

 not for able hunters, but that "all cowards 

 should stay at home!" Akenge himself was 

 leader and every headman had reason to show 

 the effects of this influence. Prowess and cour- 

 age among the warfaring Azande wrrr stepping 

 stones to fame. Abawe was the most renowned 

 hunter in the region, making many contributions 



to our collections of rare animals during the 

 two months we spent with him. But finally, at 

 Akenge's return to his residence, I proceeded 

 southward to the neighborhood of Niapu. Late 

 in the evening his messenger, a boy of ten. 

 sneaked up to me, whispering, "The sultan is 

 going. Do you want to see him?" I had hard- 

 ly assented when Akenge stood before me. He 

 had waited under cover of darkness to hear my 

 reply with his own ears. His time of going was 

 set by augury, and he had come to bid good-bye. 

 Like the "King of Beasts." he traveled through 

 the forest on roads untrodden. Neither dark- 

 ness nor jungle could stop him. This venerable 

 chief of savages had a gentleman's pride and 

 was worried not to have been able to make good 

 his promise to help capture a young Okapi. 



"The day the child of the Okapi is born. I 

 shall know, and so will you." he said proudly. 

 "Mv o-it'ts will travel on the road to your village 



