Further Observations of the Night-Resting Habits of Monkeys in a Small Area on the Edge of the Semliki Forest, Uganda

Abstract

Lumsden (I95I) carried out a thorough study of the sleeping habits of the monkey population living at Mongiro, on the edge of the Semliki Forest, in Bwamba County, Western Uganda. He used African observers, under the charge of a reliable African supervisor, to record the trees in which inactive monkeys were seen at dusk and dawn. The trees were numbered with metal tags nailed to the trunk. The present writer visited the same area on 4, 6 and 7 July, I950, in company with the same African supervisor, and the most experienced observer. Many of the trees still bore the numbered tags. Those that had lost their tags were readily recognized by one or both of the Africans, and the identifications were checked by referring to Lumsden's map. Reference should be made to the previous paper for information on the monkeys, and a detailed description of the area. Individual trees are referred to below by the numbers used by Lumsden. The only species of monkey seen to occupy numbered trees during the 3 nights of observation were Colobus abyssinicus ituricus Matschie (Lowland colobus), Papio doguera tessellatus Elliot (Anubis baboon) and Cercocebus albigena johnstoni Lydekker (Black mangabey).