14 ADVENTURES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA. 



can not be compared witli jMofliits work on the same subject, eillicr in 

 the extent, or miiuiteness ol' its detail. Neither does it enter so deeply 

 into the character and habits of the numeious tribes of Calirs and Hot- 

 tentots which wander over Sonth Africa. MolFat resided in the midst of 

 the people, as a Missionary, for twenty years, and therefore was qualified 

 in the highest degree, to exhibit every thing of interest relating to them. 

 Steedman, as the title of his work indicates, was a wanderer, a naturalist, 

 in pursuit of new specimens of the productions of Nature to add to the 

 collections already formed. Keeping in view the grand object of his 

 wanderings, and succeeding in an eminent degree in adding to our stock 

 of knowledge in natural history, he has in addition confirmed the state- 

 ments of other travellers, and added his testimony to the great value of 

 the missionary effort among the benighted and debased Cafirs. As a 

 specimen of his style, and at the same time to make known a new animal, 

 one of which Mr. Steedman succeeded in obtaining, we will transcribe 

 his notice of the '■'■Ci/nictis StccdmaniU'' "This singular little quadruped, 

 hitherto unknown to Zoologists, was recently described at the Zoologi- 

 cal Society, under the name of Cynlctis Stcccbnanii. It belongs to the 

 family of Vivcrra ; but in its zoological character differs so essentially 

 from all described species of that family, and presents charactei's so pecu- 

 liar and appropriate, as to form the type of a new and distinct genus, of 

 which at present it is the only known species. The teeth are similar to 

 those of civets, paradoxures and other viverra in general, but the feet 

 are completely digitigrade, the heel highly elevated, and the toes five on 

 tlie fore, and only four on the liind feet, characters in which it differs 

 essentially from all these animals and which approximates it more nearly 

 to the dogs and foxes. The generic name Cynictis, from two greek 

 words, Kvut^ a dog or fox, and ly.rn^ a weasel or ferret, is intended to 

 express this combination of characters, signifying an animal intermediate 

 between a dog or fox and a ferret. It is found in die eastern parts of the 

 colony of the Cape of Good Hope, and in Caf!raria ; burrows in the 

 earth, and lives upon small animals." 



Mr. Steedman endeavours to maintain the position that the Gems-bok 

 (Jlnlcluj)e OryXi Pallas.) is the Unicorn of antirpiity. This position 

 seems to have been admitted by all the naturalists who have investigated 

 the origin of the fabulous Unicorn. The Oryx is somewhat larger than 

 an Ass, with cloven hoofs, very long straight horns, a short erect mane 

 of which the hair is reversed, a light sandy-brown color, often approach- 

 ing to pale-grey with shining black marks on the cheeks and face, and a 

 black switch fail. Now this union of the Horse and Goat pre.scnls to us 

 precisely tlu; charaticrislics ol' llu; Unicorn as given I)y both ancient and 



