Lake Kiwu and its Islands 
lOI 
animal life. I harboured some slight doubts as to the correct¬ 
ness of Kandt’s assertion that living shell-fish were entirely non¬ 
existent in this great water-basin, but I must entirely confirm 
his statement. I can even go further, and say that other animal 
forms commonly found in our waters, like spongillae and moss 
animalcules, were not to be seen. To speak candidly, however, 
I must maintain my doubts as to the accuracy of Kandt’s state¬ 
ments regarding the presence of medusae in Lake Kiwu. Until 
quite recently medusae were only known as inhabiting sea-water, 
it therefore caused much sensation amongst zoologists when it 
became known that the famous African explorer. Dr. Richard 
Boehm, who succumbed, alas, later, to fever, had discovered 
medusae in Tanganjika. It was assumed from this and from 
certain other peculiarities of the fauna of the lake that there had 
formerly been a connection between it and the sea. If the same 
important conclusion could not be deduced from the existence 
of jelly-fish in Lake Kiwu, it was at least of much interest. In 
the meantime I must repudiate it so far as Kiwu is concerned, 
for we never observed these creatures either on our daily journeys 
nor during our month’s stay at Kissenji, where we often met 
strong sea-breezes. And as Kandt declares that he only saw 
these acelefhce (about the size of beans) once, in two species— 
which does not coincide with the ordinary appearance, in shoals, 
of these organisms—I cannot but think that in this particular 
case the excellent observer was at fault. 
The smallest living denizens of the sea, the plankton 
organisms, were exceedingly numerous but extremely uniform. 
They are, in fact, almost entirely cofefoda^ microscopical 
Crustacea. The number of fish in Kiwu is far behind that of 
other African lakes, and, as regards species, there are hardly 
more than ten in the lake—this is a striking fact. These ten 
species are divided into four families only, in which the cichlidce 
are best represented. The edible fish attain the size of a medium 
carp. They are valued by the natives, and are caught principally 
in baskets. 
Our journey from Wau to Kwidschwi led us close along the 
