The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1908-12-19

HLEHvZZ.D
Among the game animals Of Africa
In regard to whose habits and mode
of life our information has hitherto
been exceedingly vague and unsatis-
factory. may be included the pigmy
lhippopotamus of the forests Of Ii
IBERIA and the adjacent districts OF the
West Coast For long time after its
first discovery-and 1t las been known
TO naturalists for many years. although
specimens have always been rare in
imuseums-the pigmy species was sup
posed to closely resemble Its gigantic
relative in general habits; that is to
Say, It was regarded a. being in the
main a water rather than land ami
NAL. According. however. to reports
from some Of the comparatively few
travellers who in former days visited
Liberia, this Is altogether wrong.
! 1t has been stated, indeed. by DR..
Buttikopfer that in its general mode
jof life the pigmy species 10 much more
like 4 wild pig than an ordinary hip
lpopotamus, and that 1t commonly goes
about the tropical forests in pairs. to
. great extent without regard to the
neighborhood of xivers and lakes.
These observations are. in the main.
fully confirmed by series Of interest
ing neld-notes from the pen Of Capt.
Il. Murray Of the East Surrey regi-
Imeat, UngiAnd.
/! A the result Of personal Observe
tion extending over . period Of nearly
four years, and from trustworthy In
formation obtained from both Euro
.peans and natives. Capt. Murray II Of
opinion that the pismy hippopotamus
IL fairly common throughout the pro-
tectorate of Sierra Leone and Liberia.
AZ . rule. It frequents the densest
patches of covert In the forest, rarely
leaving such shelter. except, perhaps.
at nighttime to visit some adjacent
farm for food. Rivers do not seem in
sny degree essential to Its comfort,
swamps and marshes-especially
where there IL two or three feet Of
soft mud beneath the surface-being
far more In favor, provided that such
spots are In the midst OF dense bush,
or have such covert within easy reach.
When far removed from civilization.
these animals subsist on roots, kind
Of wild plum, and the leaves Of va
rious shrubs and trees. Their favor
lite foods are, however, cassada root,
gourds. Indian corn. ETC.; but these. Of
course, are Injuries only to be OBJ
tanned close to towns and villages;
although 1t is far from uncommon TO
come across q cassada field that IL
visited nightly by these creatures and
to fnd the plants uprooted in all d.
rections.
Tho narrator goes on to observe that
his experience leads him to believe
that these dwarf hippos are solitary,
and do not, as has been suggested, AZ
sociate in pairs. At night, however.
they undoubtedly meet their fellows
at favorite spots, such ~ farms and
mud-dips. Nevertheless. although In
some parts the bush II q perfect net
work of tunnels and runs made by
these hippos. Capt. Murray never dis
covered from the tracks that any one
such run IL used by any other than its
solitary owner.
1 On the other hand, 1t 10 compare
lively common to ind the tracks Of q
COW hippo with . well.grown calf at
her heels; and 1t would seem quite
likely that this may have given rise
to the idea that the adults usually as.
sociats in pairs. In the daytime the
pigmy hippos resort to the densest
shelter they can find, probably for
tho purpose Of repose, although, espe-
cially In Sierra Leone and Liberia, 1t
10 out Of the question to verify this by
actual experience. ~ It IL impossible
for any human being to follow the low,
thorny and twisting tunnels these crea-
lures make through the bush without
being detected long before reaching
the retreat Of the owner.
On one occasion, indeed, after some
three hours painful "squirming'' on
his stomach. the narrator actually sue
csedsd in finding q spot still warm
whore one Of these animals had re-
centIy been lying down; but even then
he must have been detected while still
= lung way OF. Usually these hippos
eeen to commence their wanderings
ahovx dusk, although notable excep-
lion 70 this was the behavior Of . large
apeciu,sn seen At Daru In broad day
naxht. This, howevsr. appears to
~ pesn very excsptioaal behavior,
,anee not one Of u numerous native