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268

THE NSHIEGO MBOUVÉ.

The next morning Shimbouvenegani sent me some plantains and a quantity of sugar-cane by the hands of a young black woman, who bore also the message that she was to be my wife. I had to decline the matrimonial proposal, which seemed to grieve the black nymph, while her royal master was merely surprised, but evidently thought that it was right I should do as I pleased.

This day we went out on a hunt-one of those hunts which are marked with the brightest of red ink in my calendar. On this day I discovered a new and very curious ape. We had been traveling some hours, when we came upon a male and female of the Bos brachicheros. I shot the bull, a splendid fellow, who furnished us dinner and supper. After dinner we marched on, and had a weary time of it for some hours, the ground being swampy and no game in sight. As I was trudging along, rather tired of the sport, I happened to look up at a high tree which we were passing, and saw a most singular-looking shelter built in its branches. I asked Aboko whether the hunters here had this way to sleep in the woods, but was told, to my surprise, that this very ingenious nest was built by the nshiego mbouvé, an ape, as I found afterward, which I put in the genus Troglodytes, and called Troglodytes calvus; an animal which had no hair on its head-so Okabi told me.

I saw at once that I was on the trail of an animal till now unknown to the civilized world. A naturalist will appreciate the joy which filled me at this good fortune. I no longer felt tired, but pushed on with renewed ardor and with increased caution, determined not to rest till I killed this nest-building ape. One such discovery pays the weary naturalist-hunter for many months of toil and hardship. I felt already rewarded for all the inconveniences and expenses of my Camma trip. I have noticed that it is always at the most unexpected moment that such a piece of luck befalls a poor fellow.

I saw many of these nests after this, and may as well say here that they are generally built about fifteen or twenty feet from the ground, and invariably on a tree which stands a little apart from others, and which has no limbs below the one on which the nest is placed. I have seen them at the height of fifty feet, but very seldom. This choice is probably made that they may be safe at night from beasts, serpents, and falling limbs. They build only

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HABITS OF THE NSHIEGO.

271 in the loneliest parts of the forest, and are very shy, and seldom seen even by the negroes.

Okabi, who was an old and intelligent hunter, was able to tell me that the male and female together gather the material for their nests. This material is leafy branches with which to make the roof, and vines to tie these branches to the tree. The tying is done so neatly, and the roof is so well constructed, that until I` saw the nshiego actually occupying his habitation, I could scarce persuade myself that human hands had not built all. It sheds rain perfectly, being neatly rounded on top for this purpose.

The material being collected, the male goes up and builds the nest, while the female brings him the branches and vines. The male and female do not occupy the same tree, but have nests not far apart.

From all I have observed, I judge that the nshiego is not gre garious. The nests are never found in companies; and I have seen even quite solitary nests occupied by very old nshiegos, whose silvery hair and worn teeth attested their great age. These seemed hermits who had retired from the nshiego world.

They live on wild berries, and build their houses where they find these. When they have consumed all that a particular spot affords, they remove and build new houses, so that a nest is not inhabited for more than eight or ten days.

We traveled with great caution, not to alarm our prey, and had a hope that, singling out a shelter and waiting till dark, we should find it occupied. In this hope we were not disappointed. Lying quite still in our concealment (which tried my patience sorely), we at last, just at dusk, heard the loud peculiar "Hew! Hew! Hew!" which is the call of the male to his mate. We waited till it was quite dark, and then I saw what I had so longed all the weary afternoon to see. A nshiego was sitting in his nest. His feet rested on the lower branch; his head reached quite into the little dome of a roof, and his arm was clasped firmly about the tree-trunk. This is their way of sleeping.

After gazing till I was tired through the gloom at my poor sleeping victim, two of us fired, and the unfortunate beast fell at our feet without a struggle, or even a groan.

We built a fire at once, and made our camp in this place, that when daylight came I might first of all examine and skin my prize. The poor ape was hung up, to be out of the way

272

DESCRIPTION OF THE NSHIEGO.

of the bashikouay and other insects, and I fell asleep on my bed of leaves and grass, as pleased a man as the world could well hold.

Next morning I had a chance to examine the nshiego. I was at once struck with the points of difference between it and the chimpanzee. It was somewhat smaller than the chimpanzee I had killed; but its great distinction was its bald head. This is its mark. This specimen was 3 feet 11 inches high or long. It was an adult. Its skin, where there is no hair, is black, in its natural state. The throat, breast, and abdomen are covered with short, and rather thin blackish hair. On the lower part of the abdomen the hair is thinnest; but this is not perceived unless looked at carefully, as the skin is the color of the hair. On the legs the hair is of a dirty gray mixed with black.

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The shoulders and back have black hair between two and three inches long, mixed with a little gray. The arms, down to the wrist, have also long black hair, but the hands are covered with gray hair. The hair is much thinner, in general, than on the gorilla, and the skin is not so tough. I noticed that the bare places,

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