Identifier: gameanimalsofafr00lyde (find matches)
Title: The game animals of Africa
Year: 1908 (1900s)
Authors: Lydekker, Richard, 1849-1915
Subjects: Game and game-birds Hunting Big game animals
Publisher: London, R. Ward, limited
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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illman to Mr. RowlandWard. In Sclater and Thomass Book of Antelopes the range of thewestern race of the bongo (the only one then known) is stated to befrom Liberia to the Gaboon, so the record from Sierra Leone addsa very considerable northward extension to its previously known dis-tribution. It is, however, interesting to note that in the work justcited reference is made to a horn from Sierra Leone, figured byAfzelius in his essay on antelopes, published at Upsala in 1795, whichthe authors consider may possibly be that of a bongo. The fact thatthe animal is now definitely known to inhabit that district lends strongsupport to the suggestion. The following notes are abbreviated from an anonymous accountpublished in the Field (or 1908 on the habits and mode of occurrenceof the eastern race :— Up to the present time the bongo has defied all the whitesportsmens efforts to bring it to bag. The reason for this is that itlives in the dense forest, matted and twined with lianas and creepers
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1. Kudu. 3. Bongo. 2. Lesser Kudu. 4. Nyala. 9. Eastern Bushbuck. PLATE XIII 5. Western Situtunga. 7. Abyssinian Bushbuck. 6. Eastern Situtunga. 8. Western Buslibuck. 10. Southern Bushbuck.319 330 ANTELOPES and carpeted with twigs and rotten branches, which make such a noisewhen trodden on that the bongo has timely warning of the approachof any intruder and makes off. Even the native hunters, whose homeis in the forest, are unable to shoot it, though they can catch it ingame-pits and traps. I have been unable to find any proof that ithas ever been shot by the Wandorobo, as has sometimes been asserted ;in fact, the Wandorobo themselves have told me that it is impossibleto do so. These forests are generally at an altitude of about 7000feet above sea-level, and are cold, misty, and damp. Under-foot theground consists of soft black earth, into w4iich the footprint sinksdeeply, and everywhere it is matted with undergrowth. The otherdenizens of the forest are leopards, the forest-hog, a few

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