ZOOLOGICAL 
ately improved and became fat upon its now 
properly-eaten food. 
Technically speaking, the use of the word 
dentistry for an operation upon the mandibles of 
a bird might seem a misnomer; and yet, as the 
mandibles properly take the place of teeth, it 
may justly be termed dentistry—especially 
when it concerns the mandibles of a Harpy 
eagle, the largest and fiercest of the rapacious 
birds. The Harpy is rare, and like all rarities, 
costly. When Doctor Blair learned that the 
Harpy could open his mandibles only with dif- 
ficulty, he was worried. With the thought of 
tetanus in his mind, he ordered the capture cf the 
bird. An examination showed that at some time, 
possibly in his wild state, the upper mandible 
had been bruised, causing it to turn from the 
normal growing line and press so firmly against 
the lower as to nearly make the jaws immovable. 
The inner surface was carefully cut away and 
filed smooth. As the mandibles have now 
reached their normal size, it will require but a 
few treatments to effect a complete cure. 
He Re S: 
THE BONGO. 
HE National Collection of Heads and Horns 
has recently been enriched by a pair of 
Bongo horns, gift of James L. Clark—the 
hunting companion of Mr. Radcliffe Dugmore. 
According to the records of Rowland Ward, 
these horns are fifth in length and first in cir- 
cumference. 
“The Bongo,” said Mr. Clark, “is not a rare 
animal, but is exceedingly difficult to shoot, by 
reason of its great shyness. The natives refuse 
to guide a white man on the trail of the ante- 
lope, because, as they say, he wears too many 
clothes to run quietly, and has not sufficient lung 
power to run fast. The Bongo frequents the 
thick bush and bamboos in the foothills of the 
country around Escarpment—a station on the 
Uganda R. R., about fifty miles from Nairobi— 
and Eldoma Ravine, between Nairobi and the 
terminus of the railroad in Uganda, usually at 
an elevation of 5,000 to 8,000 feet. It is ex- 
tremely sensitive to wounds, however slight, 
presumably on account of its high-strung, nerv- 
ous temperament, and if followed, is frequently 
found dead from a trivial hurt. With but few 
exceptions, most of the specimens are brought 
in by the natives, who get them in pitfalls dug 
for other game. The Bongo comes out of hid- 
ing at night, and probably if one climbed into 
a tree and waited, they might obtain a shot. 
SOCIETY 
BULLETIN. 689 
The natives are keenly aware of the worth of 
specimens, and put a high valuation on Bongo 
heads. In Nairobi a head, by no means as 
large as the one presented to the Society, had a 
market value of $150.00.” 
So strict are the British hunting laws, Mr. 
Clark experienced great difficulty in shipping the 
specimens he obtained. One came through on 
his hunting license, but the other two were 
passed only upon a promise to deliver them to 
the American Museum,—a promise that the 
Government Game Ranger verified by writing to 
the Museum, stating that the heads were con- 
signed to it. BRAS: 
AFRICAN BONGO SKULL. 
