1905.] ON" THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE OKAPI. 309 



2. Notes on the Geographical Distribution of the Okapi. 

 By Dr. EiNAR LONNBEEG, C.M.Z.S. 



[Received August 28, 1905.] 



I have had the pleasiu-e i-eeently of meeting my compatriot 

 Lieutenant Karl Eiiksson, who delivered to Sir Harry Johnston 

 the first skull and skin of the Okapi. I took this opportunity of 

 asking Lieutenant Eriksson about the distiibution of this I'emark- 

 able animal, and his i'e23ly was that he believed it to be disti-ibuted 

 jDi'actically over the whole of the " equatorial forest " of the 

 Congo Free State. He showed me on the map of the Congo 

 basin appended to Mr. Boulenger's woi-k, ' Les Poissons du Bassm 

 du Congo'*, the approximate limits of this area of distribution. 

 If we begin at the River Ubangi in the west about midway 

 between Mobena and Jmese, from there the limit extends north- 

 east towards Businga at the Rivei- Likame or somewhat north of 

 that place, and then more east to the Bivei- Uele just before it 

 joins the Rivei- Ubangi. From that place and eastward the 

 River Uele is the noi'thern limit to a j)oint about midway 

 between Amadi and Suruaugo. From there it turns south-east, 

 ]Dassing somewhat east of Mawambi, and continuing to a point a 

 little west of Kariini. Not much south of this, the most eastern 

 point of the gi'eat forest, the boundaiy-line turns westward 

 again and crosses tlie great Congo River at Ponthierville, and 

 continues westwai'd a little south of Tschuapa River, but bends 

 by-and-by a little north, so that it passes on the northern side 

 of Bolondo towards Coquilhatville. It is evident that this is 

 only a rough outline of the area of distribution of the Okapi. but 

 it may hold good in a genei'al w^ay. 



Outside this boundary-line thei'e are many forest-clad areas, 

 but they are not extensive, and Lieutenant Eriksson does not 

 believe that they are inhabited by the Okaj)i. It is an in- 

 habitant of the gi-eat forest, but does not live eveiywhere in it. 

 Its regular pasture-grounds ai'e open glades in the forest, where 

 rivulets with shallow water expand and produce a rich growth of 

 grass. This gi-ass and the leaves of the bushes and undergrowth 

 under the trees, which ai'e especially luxuriant in such places, may 

 form the principal food of the Okapi. Although a shallow sheet 

 of water expands over the very flat ground to greater or less 

 extent in these glades, there ai-e no swamps. The soil is hard and 

 firm t, which explains the shape of the hoofs of the animal. 

 Lieutenant Eriksson has not seen the Okapi in a living state in 

 its natural surroinidings, as probably no white man ever has or is 

 likely to do. But he has, while on his marches during the night, 



* Bruxelles, 1901. 



t Because gravel or hard red earth lies quite near the surface. 



