An African Trailer Safari

1939. First Edition First Printing . Soft cover. Good. Description of an expedition carried out 1938/39 for the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, tasked with collecting specimens for the Leopard & Colobus Monkey groups for the new Akeley Hall of African Mammals at the museum, which had just completed construction a few years earlier & was in the process of adding dioramas of the landscapes & animals on the continent that it recognized were "rapidly disappearing." Following a 10,000-mile journey across the Atlantic to Marseilles, then by air across the Mediterranean to Alexandria, then following the Nile through Khartoum, Juba, & Kisumu, the team arrived in Nairobi in Jan. 1939. There, they met up with the famed professional African hunter, Al Klein, & Captain Vivian Ward, together with a team of guides, guns, & equipment provided by Abercrombie & Fitch. Alongside their search for leopards & monkeys, the group was intrigued by gossip regarding the Dugongs (mermaids) who had allegedly migrated to the vicinity of Funzi Island, some 50 miles south of Mombasa & 60 miles out in the Indian Ocean. They report their efforts to capture some specimens of this "strange mammal,'' thought to be the basis for all tales & myths of mermaids & sea sirens. Alas, "we were not able to capture them alive,'' but a male & female specimen were procured & their skeleton & skins shipped back to the museum. Adventures with other animal species & "exotic natives" are also recounted & vividly depicted In the accompanying illustrations. Oblong 16mo (9.5" x 6.6") in colorful decorative wrappers, 2-staple binding. 32 unnumbered internal pages, including 28 full-color lithographs preceded by 4 pages of text. Condition is Good: tearing along spine from bottom up to bottom of lower staple. Insect damage in the form of many small rubbed areas to both covers. Interior lithographs are colorful & bright, some margins show small soiled spots. Scarce in any condition, OCLC listing only 1 copy, none in trade. Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! Same Day Shipping on all orders received by 2 pm Weekdays (Pacific time); later orders, Weekends & holidays ship very next business day.