Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1873-09-10

An EXISTING RACE OF PIdMIEs.-Dr.
Lchwiuiurih, who has travelled extensive.
ly iu Central Africa, recently entertained
the Berlin Geographical Society with an
account of diminutive race Of men, the
Aoca, whom no takes to be the originals
of the pigimies celebrated in Grocian lit
teraturC, agreeing with Aristotle in the
opinion that pigimes of Homer and Hero
dotus were not altogether creatures of the
imagination
DR.. Schweinfurth made dlligent in
quiry wherever he went as to the exist
ence of dwar.fs races of men, On the
upper Nile he was told of men mot over
three feet ia stature, wearing their boards,
who were skilled In elephat hunting, and
who sold ivory to foreign traders" But
it was at the court of Munsa, king Of the
Mombuttu, that he first saw an individual
of this dimunitive race. "Onc morn
ing says he, "thc camp ruug with joy,
GUS shout as my people brought in GU
rious timid little man, the palpable en-
bodiment of myths which have been cur
rent for ever so long" BY means of gift
and kind usage the pigmy was induced tc
take seat when his measure and por'
trait was taken. He stated that he wa:
the. head ola family, living haitian hours
Journey from the capital; that his tribe
is called Acca, and that their country liei
south of Mombuttu: that they have beer
conquered by the latter and settled ia tht
royal residence. His height was one metre
(thirty mine inches) and albeit he had ;
pendent belly and very slender shanks, h'
performed Incredible feats of agility. Oh
the next day several others Of his tribe
induced by the premise Of gifts, paid ou
traveller visit, and they too were meas
ured and had their portraits taken. L
is to be regretted, however, that durinl
the entire three weeks stay Of the docto
at Munsa's court, he never had the goo'
fortune to see pigmy woman. But VII,
did he rot 90 to the settlement and visi
tho ladies himself ? The Accas are note,
warriors, notwithstanding their diminutiv
stature. lthappeued during Schweinfurth'
stay at the court that king Mumcry es
corted by several hundred Acca warriors
paid visit to his brother Munsa, bring
ing him share of plunder taken in re
cent campaign. Tikitki (Men who under
stand arJfousht sham battles for the cn
tertainment of the traveller. The onl
domestic animal among the Acca is tn
common barnyard fowl, and it Is worth
of remark that an ancient Mosaic at Ma
} plos pictures the pigmies III company wit
, such fowls. The Acca are much super
or to the Bushmeu, and are of great SCI
vice to king Munsa, who in turn deserve
the thanks of ethnologists for saving froI
extinction so interesting aracc.-Galar,
CANARIEs NESTING. following par
arrsph is from our excellently edited an
III .,
beautifully printed contemporary, tn
American Naturalist, published by th
Peabody Academy Of Science, Salen
Mass 9lvlse ''
Confined by illness, have for sewers
= days watched pair of canarics makir
their nest. They have now lined it, uslr
Il feathers for that purpose, portion belr
! from their own bodies, though not
Think purposely detached The rest a
. feathers which have put on the, DO
! tom Of the cage. was struck Wi
e this observation, that every time a afeath
, was taken to the nest, it was first deibe
> ately dipped into the water cup, then p
in its place, when the building bird, Mo
% frequently the female, would drop in
e the nest and then wigglc the body to q
k shape TO the structure. The soaking
ia the feathers was evidently a matter Of .
sign, namely, to cause them to lay
'' place, and receive the proper bend trt
'r the motion of the birds body. | thi
y this indicates considerable intelligence
9, these little pets. iaa