﻿RESEARCH IN BRITISH WEST AFRICA. 179 



(4) Abakaliki, Ogoja and Obudu. 



These three districts have only very recently been opened up, and practically 

 nothing is known either of the physical features of the country or its fauna. 

 According to the official report for 1910 the country is for the most part covered 

 with grass and small trees ; there is very little bush, and that only along the 

 rivers and streams. Cattle, sheep and goats are to be found in fair numbers. 

 Horses are often brought in from the north and north-west but inevitably die in 

 the wet season. Elephant are said to be plentiful in the north, while leopard, 

 bush-cow, kob, and duiker are fairly abundant. The district of Obudu has been 

 in the hands of the Civil Authorities only since the end of 1909. 



Ogoja. — " The district is divided by the Auja Kiver ; that part of the district 

 on the left bank of the river is broken and hilly in parts. There are patches of 

 thick bush, chiefly on the river and creek banks : the remainder is grass country 

 covered lightly with short stunted trees. This part of the district has numerous 

 permanent streams running through it. In parts the country is very stony, 

 chiefly ironstone and hard sandstone, with grey granite in the eastern part of the 

 district. On the right bank of the Auja River, the type of country is totally 

 different from that on the left, it being for the most part open, level, grass country, 

 the only bush being that around the towns, and a little on the banks of the river and 

 streams. Although the country is so flat, it is well watered by permanent running 

 rivers, the largest being the Onwu. The grass in the wet season grows very high. 



"The live-stock are cattle (a small breed), sheep, goats, swine, dogs, fowls and 

 ducks. Horses are reported to be bred in the Munshi country, 15 miles north- 

 east of Ogoja. The few horses already brought into the district appear to do 

 well, although the tsetse-fly is very prevalent. 



" Wild animals are plentiful, viz. : — bush-cow, hippopotami, water-buck, cob, 

 crocodiles, porcupines, a large variety of small antelope, hares, leopards, and civet 

 cats. Elephants and rhinoceros are reported to be in large numbers to the east 

 of Ogoja, about 25 miles distant, which forest is said to be teeming with big game 

 of all sorts." 



Mr. M. H. Corsellis, the District Commissioner at Ogoja, writing in November 

 1910, said that both G. palpalis and G. morsitans had been found in the district. 

 He also added that both horses and dogs had died of trypanosomiasis and that 

 trypanosomes had been found in the blood of these by the District Medical 

 Officer. 



(5) The Cross Eiver. 



Ikom. — The country to the north and north-east of this district is well-watered 

 and covered with dense forest ; to the west it is undulating and covered with 

 grass ; to the south and south-east it is hilly with numerous farms in the valleys. 

 The whole country abounds in game. Elephant, leopard, bush-cow, water-buck 

 and kob are very common, while in the river hippopotami, manatee and crocodiles 

 are plentiful. 



During my stay at Ikom I saw many trees, especially " Flame of the 

 Forest " (Flamboyia regia), damaged by the larvae of beetles. These species 

 have been identified as Coptops jusca (Fam. Lamiidae) and Lagria sp. (Fam. 

 Lagriidaej. 



25110 E 2 



