ADVENTURE IN AFRICA

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20926, 4 January 1938, Page 3

ADVENTURE IN AFRICA

COUPLE IN SEARCH OF BEETLES DURBAN. November 30. Imagine collecting 40,000 beetles on a motoring jaunt down Africa. This is the feat achieved by a Czechoslovakian entomologist and his wife, Mr and Mrs Stanislav Skulina, who have arrived in Durban. They are scientific collectors for the zoological section of the National Museum of Prague, and since leaving their native land in June last year have sent 40,000 beetles to the museum. After leaving Prague they travelled through Central Europe, sailing from Bordeaux to Dakar and then through Senegal, Nigeria, the Lake Tchad area, the Sudan, French Equatorial Africa, the Belgian Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Beira and Lourenco Marques to Johannesburg. Mr Skulina has met many interesting people in his travels, ranging from the pygmies of the Ituri Forest to governors, presidents, kings and princes. He has seen the amazing mud-built mosques with their spikes of sacred wood and elaborate carvings —which are washed away each rainy season and renewed later —of the West Coast and the Nigerian and Cameroons hinterland. A knowledge of “monkey language” once saved his life. The “language” has no grammar or syntax, but all the primitive wants, emotions and desires can be conveyed. One day Mr Skulina was intent on securing a special beetle, specimen bottle in hand. With the concentration of the true scientist he was oblivious to all else until into his consciousness was born the warning cry of the monkeys. At last he heeded their cry and turned to find himself within 12 yards of a huge python. He was unarmed, but his natives arrived in time with pangas to finish off the reptile.