82 MR. G. L. BATES ON THi: [Feb. 7, 



the trunks of trees. Tlie " owos ngui" (A. heldeni) is not found 

 in hollow trees — at least, not usiially. It is found even in the 

 daytime, crouching flat against the trunks of trees, but is oftenest 

 seen towards evening. The rare A. fulgens seems to be like 

 A. heldeni in habits. The small A. batesi, which seems also to be 

 rather rare, has been found in hollow trees, like A. heecrofti. 



I have more than once heard a low noise in the forest at night, 

 between a whistle and a hoot, or like the sound of a switch rushing 

 through the air. It was like that made by an owl, though I know 

 of no owl's cry of one syllable as this is. This noise the natives 

 believe to be made by the "avemba ngui" (^A. heeci^ofti). 



The Smaller Anomalurid^. 



The two species of Idiurus, the rare Zenkerella, and the Dor- 

 mouse are all called by the same Bulu name " osi'i-ndan." None 

 of these, except the Dormouse, has ever been found, so far as I 

 know, in any other place than hollow trees. As they seem to 

 spend the daytime in hiding, they must feed abroad at night. 

 Whenever a hollow tree is chopped down, some of these little 

 animals, together with bats, especially the " angoii " {Hlpposideros 

 Cyclops) and certain species of Muridfe, are found in it. Often 

 boys insert burning plantain-leaves into an opening in a hollow 

 tree near the ground, and the smoke ascending suffocates the little 

 creatures above, so that they drop down and are cavight. 



The Squirrels. 



Several of the species of Squirrel are quire abundant. The 

 commonest of all is the small striped one called " osen," or rather 

 the two called " osen." This name is applied both to Sciurus 

 isabella and S. levmiscciMs, and as these are very much alike, and 

 I have not usually distinguished them, they must be spoken of 

 together. The "osen" is found both in the forest and in the 

 bushes of old clearings. Nests of the " osen" are often found, of 

 dry leaves and fibres woven into a complete globe. One I once 

 found, with two young ones in it, had no opening apparent, and 

 the little mother seemed to have closed it after her when she left. 

 These young ones were found in February, and in the same month 

 I was shown other young " osen " by boys who had found them. 



About nests of the other Squirrels I can say nothing. But I 

 have seen aii " ovae" [Scmrus rufohrachiatus) carrying a spray of 

 green leaves in its mouth as it ran along the branches. 



The two large Squii'rels {S. nordhqffi and S. unlsoni) a.re much 

 alike, though always distinguishable, if seen plainly. The former 

 (called " mvok ") is the commoner ; the other (called " nsem ") is 

 said to descend to the gTOund, which the " mvok " seldom or never 

 does. These two ai'e said by the natives to be able to gnaw 

 thi^ough the flinty shell of the " ngali" nut, the hardest vegetable 

 substance I have ever seen ; while other Squirrels are said to be 

 unable to do this. 



