Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1902-02-13
A New Animal Discovered in Africa.

under the sun. Indeed, this has been
the fixed conviction for some time, or
at least as regards the mammals, and
biologists were confident that all the
living land animals Of large size had
been discovered and named What
must have been the surprise, then, OF
biologists to learn, as they did some
months ago, that an entirely new ami
nal, one resembling the giraffe, had
been found-something that up to
that time had wholly evaded the
search of the sharp-eyed collectors
who were ever on the alert tor new
specimens in the Dark Continent.
When Stanley made his last trip
into the heart of the latter country he
was approached one day by native
who told him that to the south, in an
almost impenetrable region, there was
a strange animal, with stripes and a
long neck, that had never been seen
by the white man. Stanley, who was
constantly hearing such reports, which,
had he pail attention to them, would
have delayed the expedition, assumed
that the man had in mind zebra or
some well-known animal, and twas
here that hero of the Dark Continent
lost an opportunity to add to science
one, and possibly two, Of the most in
teresting animals known.
Some years ago Sir Harry johnson
was appointed British Plenipotentiary
in Uganda, and being interested in
science, he made every attempt to Sc
cure rare animals, encouraging the ma
tives to bring him skins and game of
all kinds. The region in which he
acted was the very heart of Africa,
tie center of mysterious country
near the Semliki river, which connects
Lakes Edward and Albert Nyanz4
and separates Uganda and the Congo
Free State. This region is so remote
that very few white people have aP-
preached it, and it's interior may be
said in parts at least to be terra IN
cognita
When Sir Harry Johnson approached
the country he found it exceedingly
rich in game, and soon heard an ami
NAL described that did not compare to
any known form. The natives, igno-
rant and prone to exaggeration, told
repeated tales about the long -necked
animal with stripes, yet not the 81
raffe. At first he paid little heed to
the reports, but as they were repeated
he finally asked the natives to bring
him one of the strange animals.
Doubtless Sir Harry never expected
to see the tabled creature, but one
day he heard shouting about his house
and a head man ran In, announcing
sxcitedly that the unknown had been
shot. Upon going out he found the
men looking at the skin Of some ami
NAL that even to the eyes Of layman
was evidently that of an animal new
to science. 1t was marked very much
like the zebra, especially the Iump,
but was of large size, showing that If
a zebra it must have been the giant OF
the tribe. Unfortunately the two
hides were headless and feetless, the
natives cutting them from the animal
in their own fashion, spelling them for
scientific purposes. Yet the skins
were priceless and were sent at once
by the minister to England, where
they excited great curiosity and in
terest, and naturslists from all over
the continent journeyed to see the new
discovery. The skins were pronounced
by Mr.. Philip L. Slater, the secretary
of the London Geological Society, a
new species of zebra and forthwith
named Equus Johnstoni. Directions
were now given the natives to secure
perfect animal if possible, and later
a skin, with the hoofs on, and two
skulls were brought in, having been
secured by an officer named Ericsson
on the banks of the Simliki river.
From this it was seen that the dis
covery was far more remarkable than
was supposed. The animal had the
curious coloring and marks Of a ze-
bra, but was an entirely different ami
mal-wss, in fact, a small eland-like
giraffe. AS soon as the skull Of the
Okapi, as the natives called the ami,
mai, Was qeen by naturalists they not
ed it. resemblance to an extinct gl-
raffe-like animal Of the middle tertiary
period, known as the Helledotheriun
an animal that has been extinct fol
millions of years yet here in the dark
forest, deep in the heart Of the great
continent. lived an allied form, eur.