89 
Unika. Wild-boars, hedgehogs, porcupines, mon- 
keys, and apes are more numerous, and prey largely 
upon the plantations of the people. The country, 
too, literally swarms with mapuku (field rats), and 
they do immense mischief ; there is scarcely any 
living for them. Ngawa (civet-cats) run the woods 
and jungles. 
The beasts of prey are the simba (lion), the tui or 
tsui (leopard), the fisi (hyaena), and the keniegere 
(lynx). Crocodiles lurk in the pits along the course 
of mountain torrents, and now and then a hippopota- 
mus may be seen. 
. The feathered tribe comprehends kanga (guinea- 
fowl), Ndiwa (pigeons and turtle-doves), maninga 
(green pigeons), kuinzi (green parrots), kororo, mpuji, 
kereng'enzi (partridges), etc. There are also the mdomo 
and mpembe, kinds of toucan, remarkable for the 
largeness of their bills, sufficient, one would almost 
think, to weigh them down. The cooing of the wood- 
pigeon and the loud rapping of the woodpecker are 
very common sounds. Tsongo (native sparrows) are 
numerous, and are the plague of the mtama fields. 
The kitosi is a diminutive and very pretty creature, 
as fond as the Wanika themselves of palm-wine. 
He visits calabash after calabash, as they hang at the 
ti*ees, and helps himself to the liquor they contain, 
till he becomes quite intoxicated. As drunk as 
the kitosi," is a common saying among the Wa- 
nika. In certain seasons of the year the country is 
enlivened by the presence of swallows, darting arrow- 
like to and fro, and keeping up a cheerful twitter. 
Then there are many nameless birds of beauteous 
plumage and delightful song, which will one day 
