THE NSCHIEGO MBOUV& 
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hearing or seeing any signs of large animal life. But of all the mammals the Monkeys are the 
most numerous, and the Gorilla reigns supreme. He has the forest to himself, and but few enemies. 
He has companions, however, nearly of his own size, and whose description we owe to Du Clialllu, 
and they are so constructed, anatomically, that they link on, as it were, this greatest of all Apes with 
the well-known Chimpanzee, which is also indigenous to the Gorilla land. The new Apes are the 
Nschiego Mbouve, or Tschiego, and the Koolo-Kamba. 
CHAPTER II. 
'THE MAN-SHAPED APES { continued ) — the nschiego mbouve — tiie koolo-kamba — the soko — the chimpanzee. 
The Nschiego Mbouve — Its Nests and Habits — A Specimen Shot — Differences between it and the Gorilla — Structural 
Peculiarities — The Koolo-Kamba — Meaning of the Name — Discovered by Du Chaillu — Its Outward Appearance and 
Anatomy— The Soko — Discovered by Livingstone— Hunting the Soko— The Chimpanzee— In Captivity— On board 
Ship — A Young Chimpanzee — The Brain and Nerves— Anatomical Peculiarities — General Remarks upon the Group. 
THE NSCHIEGO MBOUVE. * 
'This great Ape, which attains the height of four feet, and has a spread of arms of seven feet, 
was discovered by Du Chaillu in the Gaboon district. It is remarkable for building veiy comfortable 
shelters, and this led to its being found ; for Du Chaillu, in one of his excursions, was trudging along, 
rather tired of sport, when he saw a most singular-looking shelter built on the branches of a tree. 
He thought it had been made by the natives, and asked whether the hunters had the habit of 
sleeping in the woods, but was told, to his great surprise, that it was a nest built by the Nschiego 
Mbouve, an Ape. Moreover, one of the natives told him that it was a curious creature, which had a 
bald head. 
Many of the nests were seen subsequently, and it was noticed that they were generally built 
•about fifteen or twenty feet from the ground, and invariably on a tree which stands slightly apart 
from others, and winch had no lower bough beneath the shelter. Occasionally they are to be seen 
■at the height of fifty feet; and it would appear that the altitude has something to do with the 
•dread of the few flesh-eating and destructive beasts, such as the Leopard. The loneliest parts of 
the forest are chosen, for the animal is shy, and is very rarely seen, even by the negroes. The 
materials for the nest consist of leafy branches, and are collected by the male and the female also, who tie 
them together, and to tlie tree, very neatly with twigs of the vine. The roof is so well constructed 
that it closely resembles human work, and it throws off the rain admirably, for it is neatly 
rounded at the top. During its construction, the female gathers the branches and vines, whilst tlie 
male builds ; but afterwards they do not occupy the same shelter, the male making another close by 
in a neighbouring tree. The roof, which is usually some six or eight feet in diameter, is more or 
less dome-shaped, or something like an extended umbrella ; and the Nschiego gets under it and 
•clasps the tree, or squats on a bough, so that its head is just beneath the under surface. Tlie 
nests are not occupied permanently, and usually for not more than eight or ten days, for tlie Apes, 
living upon wild berries of a certain kind, select spots where they are plentiful, and leave them when 
the store is exhausted. Du Chaillu never saw many nests together, and he does not think the animals 
live in troops, but only in pairs. Sometimes a solitary nest is seen, inhabited by a Nschiego, whose 
silvery hair denotes its age, and probably its desire for solitude after a long and troublous life. 
Being desirous of obtaining one of these shelter makers, as they were evidently new to science, 
Du Chaillu took every precaution to surprise his prey ; but it is best to tell the story in his 
own words : — 
“ We travelled with great caution, not to alarm our prey, and had a hope that, by singling out a 
* Troglodytes Tschiego (Buvernoy) ; Troglodytes calvus (Du Chaillu). 
