302 DISCUSSION ON THE FAUNA OF [May 5, 



the western bank of Lake Nyassa belongs to British Central Africa, 

 and I suppose also the western half of the lake, from the end of 

 which the border-line runs irregularly westward to the base of Lake 

 Tanganyika, thus embracing the whole of what is called the 

 " Tanganyika Plateau." On the north-west and west the boundaries 

 of British Central Africa have still to be definitely settled. But it 

 is quite understood, I bi lieve, that lakes Moero and Bangweolo and 

 the adjoining lands to the east come within the sphere of British 

 influence, and that the Barotsi Highlands and the great valley of 

 the Loangwa and its eastern tributaries are also within the area of 

 " British Centr.al Africa." 



To govern this enormous territory of perhaps some .500,000 square 

 miles in extent. Lord Salisbury has selected our Fellow, Mr, Henry 

 Hamilton Johnston, C.B., well known to science for his explorations 

 both in the Western and in the Eastern Tropics of the African Con- 

 tinent. Mr. Johnston has already departed from England for the 

 scene of action. But he leaves behind him Mr. Bertram L. Sclater, 

 R.E., the Chief of his Staff, and Mr. Alexander Whyte, F.Z.S., his 

 Naturalist, and for the benefit and instruction of these gentlemen, 

 who have favoured us with their company to-night, I venture to 

 bring before you a few remarks on the Zoology of this part of Africa, 

 chiefly in order to show how little we know and how much we want 

 to know, and to invite you to a discussion on the subject. 



Mr. Johnston informs us that he wishes to make a thorough 

 examination of the fauna. Flora, and Geology of British Central 

 Africa ; that is, as already pointed out, of the shores and waters of 

 Lakes Nyassa, Tanganyika, Shirwa, Bangweolo, Moero, and of the 

 Bivers Zambesi, Loangwa, Shire, &c., and of the country generally 

 comprised between the limits of the left bank of the Zambesi, the 

 east shore of Lake Nyassa, and the southern watershed of the 

 Congo. 



I am sure we shall be all glad to help him in such a laudable 

 undertaking, and that he means to attempt what he says is shown 

 by his engagement of Mr. Whyte as Naturalist to his expedition, 

 and by his having supplied Mr. Whyte with all the apparatus neces- 

 sary for this purpose. 



The large area just described as British Central Africa will be 

 divided for administrative purposes, I believe, into three sections : — 

 (1) Nyassa-land, comprising the eastern portion, lying within the 

 basin of Lake Nyassa and the Shire ; (2) Bangweolo-land, comprising 

 the north-western portion draining mostly into the Congo ; and (3) 

 Barotsi-land, comprising the south-western portion drained by the 

 upper affluents of the Zambesi. Of the two last-named divisions it 

 may be stated at once that, as regards their zoology, they are ab- 

 solutely terrcB incognitce. They have, in fact, as yet only been visited 

 by a few adventurous travellers, who have not had time nor occasion 

 to attend to natural science. As regards Nyassa-land the case is a 

 little difi"erent ; a certain number of Europeans, chiefly for missionary 

 purposes, have been settled in several parts of this territory for the 

 past thirty years, and a certain number of zoological specimens have 



