Page 12 - 2020 SoM Journal Vol 73 No 1 FINAL_Neat

4 The Society of Malawi Journal

General Sir William Manning and 'his' African animals

David Happold

General Manning was a very
influential person in the early days of
the British Central Africa Protectorate
and Nyasaland. He first arrived in
central Africa in 1893 and remained in
Nyasaland until 1913. However, during
this time, he also had assignments in
Somalia and East Africa. His military
career and honours have been well
described by Anthony Allen in a recent
issue of Rhino Link (Volume II [30], p,
34), and they reminded me that
Manning had an interest in animals.
In the early colonial days, it
was not unusual for colonial
administrators and military officers to
hunt game for food and trophies, and to General Sir William Manning
watch and collect birds. In those days,
everything was new and unusual (and
often very beautiful). Skins and horns of antelopes (and other large species), and
prepared specimens of smaller mammals and birds, were sent 'home' to museums
overseas where they were examined, catalogued and given scientific names. The
first specimens from the region (now called Malawi) were collected by David
Livingstone and by the subsequent expeditions up the Shire River to the Highlands
and the lake. Most specimens from this part of Africa were sent to the British
Museum (Natural History) now the Natural History Museum in London. These
specimens (as well as insects, worms, fish, reptiles and many others) are still there
today and available for study. Once they were at the museum, specimens
considered to be 'new' had to be given a scientific name ... and this is where
General Manning comes into the story.
Naming animals (and plants) is quite complicated! There are strict
international rules governing how this has to be done. The scientific name consists
of two or three parts: a genus name, a species name, and (if required) a subspecies
name. A species may exhibit non-overlapping geographic variation, in which case
each variant may be given a subspecies name which is placed after the species
name.