452 Late Explorations in the Gaboon. [ June, 
Among the errors current in regard to the tropical forest, is the 
common impression that they are full of dangers from the wild 
animals which inhabit them. Such dangers are, however, for the 
‘most part imaginary. Far up on the highlands of the interior, 
away from the rivers, the atmosphere is pure, and animal life 
abounds, but there the forest is, for the most part, replaced by 
savannahs. These, with a rolling surface covered with luxuriant 
grass, here and there set with picturesque groves, resemble great 
deer parks, in which herds of elephants, buffaloes and antelopes 
of many species find abundant food. In the country about the 
Gaboon the mammalian fauna is, on the contrary, very poor in 
species, but it has the crowning interest that it includes the great 
anthromorphous apes, Zroglodytes gorilla and Troglodytes niger. 
Here are none of the large antelopes, giraffes, gnus, zebras, 
quaggas, rhinoceroses, gazelles, lions, ostriches, etc., which 
abound in the interior. The leopard is common, the black vari- 
ety is occasionally seen, but rare. Of wild hogs there are a few 
bands of Phacochcerus, and in greater number, Sus peniculatus, 
the former with gigantic tusks, the other with long face, tufte 
ears and tail. Only a few jackals and hyenas are found, and 
during my six years of roaming, I have shot but one of the lat- 
ter; it was the large spotted hyena. The JZystomys velox, which 
belongs to the Insectivora, is found, though rarely, along the 
banks and shores of rivers or lakes, hunting after crabs and 
fishes. From similar glands it diffuses a musky smell like that 
of the civet. Otters occur, also the African porcupine, and an 
animal resembling the great ant-eater, Myrmecophaga jubata ; the 
latter is found only in South America, but a native offered to s¢ 
me at a trading post in the interior, a large and fresh skin with 
the long haired broom-like tail, remarkably like this species. 
Beside the gorilla and chimpanzee, the monkey tribe is repre” 
sented by the mandrill with the blue face, and by the long tailed 
dog-faced baboons, as also the black four-fingered very timid and 
nimble Colobus niger, Cercopithecus cephus, C. erxlebent, C. ethiops. 
C. erythropyga, as asserted by my friend Dr. Pecknel. 
In the rivers and lakes there are hippopotami which sometimes, 
but rarely, go down to and into the ocean, The manatee, being, 
much hunted for its delicious flesh by the natives, who are ae 
tremely skillful in throwing the harpoon, is continually decreasing 
in numbers, and will probably suffer the fate of her sister of the 
salt water. 
