ANIMALS AND BIRDS ON THE PLAINS OF C AMDS BOO. 87 



cera pale yellow ; the beak and nails black ; the feet entirely 

 covered with downy feathers ; length two feet two inches. 

 The viverra was wholly of a bright chestnut colour ; the tail 

 shaded with black hairs, bushy, straight, and white at the 

 extremity ; ears short and round ; on the fore feet five, and 

 the hind feet four toes ; the body and tail each one foot long. 

 Others of this genus are the muskiliatte cat, or zenik of the 

 Sy sterna Natures ; the tigrina, or tiger cat ; the mellivora, or 

 ratel ; and the cafra. In general these animals are easily 

 domesticated. One species however it is very difficult, if not 

 impossible, to render tame. It resembles the putorius or pole- 

 cat of America, with this difference only, that the latter has 

 five parallel white lines along the back, and the African spe- 

 cies only four that diverge from the shoulder. When first 

 taken they smell very strongly of musk, which, however, 

 shortly wears off by confinement. There is also found in 

 this part of the country a beautiful little ground-squirrel, 

 with a white stripe on each side from the shoulder to the 

 flank ; the body a dark chestnut colour, about eight inches in 

 length ; tail ten inches, grizzled, black, brown, and white. 



That elegant bird the Balearic Crane, Grus pavonina, was 

 first met with near the Melk River ; and Guinea fowls were 

 very abundant near every streamlet. Bee-eaters, Merops 

 apiaster, with their beautiful plumage, and Certhias or creep- 

 ers with colours still more brilliant, were fluttering about in 

 vast numbers among the Mimosae of the Sunday River, where 

 are also many beautiful species both of kingsfishers and 

 woodpeckers. The modest garb of the Colii, of which I met 

 with three species, formed a striking contrast with the gaudy 

 plumage of the others. There are several species of Swallows 

 in the Cape, all migratory. One in particular, with a red spot- 

 ted breast, frequents the habitations of man, where it builds 

 its nest. In many of the farm-houses are small shelves nailed 

 against the beams, expressly for the swallows ; and I have 

 heard it asserted very commonly, that the same birds return 

 to their places for many years, and generally on the very same 

 day : which, if true, is a striking instance to prove that na- 

 ture is not more constant in the organization of the machine 

 than in the effects that are intended to result from it. 



The Sunday River was nearly dry, which gave our people 

 an opportunity of taking plenty of turtle with great ease. 

 These, when full grown, are generally in size about a foot in 

 diameter ; the females are exceedingly prolific in eggs, and 

 the flesh is by no means wanting in flavour. The river 

 abounds also with short thick eels that are very delicious. — 

 Barroiv's Africa, vol. i. p. 187. 



