Bird-Names used in Coastal North-Eastern Tanganyika Territory

Abstract

When one is trying to get the names of natural objects out of an African, however successfully, he is almost sure to make some remark to the effect that of course the old people knew far more about these things than we do nowadays. Sometimes be adds rather unctuously that they had nothing else to bother about but nyama and majani. Both remarks probably contain much truth, and this provides one good reason for trying to record native names without waiting any longer. A second good reason, if one were needed, is that some knowledge of them is an important adjunct to the teaching of biology in schools.