170 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XLIII. 
The general character of this jangle was this. 
The ground was covered with dum-bush, which 
formed a thick brushwood, and here and there 
with rank grass, while the forest in general con- 
sisted of middle-sized trees, chiefly mimosas and 
kalgos, though there were other specimens, espe- 
cially the kokia-tree, which I had first seen on my 
journey fromGezawa to Katsena, the trees of smaller 
size being separated into groups by large spreading 
specimens of the vegetable kingdom, mostly of the 
ficus kind ; for monkey-bread trees seemed to be 
wanting entirely, and altogether I saw few speci- 
mens of this tree in the Musgu country. Yery 
remarkable nests of birds, suspended from the 
branches, were observed, not unlike a purse, with 
a long narrow neck hanging down and forming 
the entrance ; or rather like a chemist's retort sus- 
pended from the head, the shank being several inches 
long, and the whole beautifully fabricated with the 
most surprising skill. Of the skilful manufacturers 
of these fine dwellings we did not obtain a sight; but 
probably it is a species of loxia. In this thick 
covert, several young elephants were hunted down, 
and even the giraffe seemed frequent. 
The place which we chose for our encampment was 
adorned by numerous fan-palms, which, although in 
general identical with the species called Chamwrops 
humilis, nevertheless by their height appeared to be 
a distinct variety, and gave to the encampment a 
very picturesque appearance. The forest was here so 
