Natural History of South Africa, frc. "Jo 



transversely with black and white, each feather besides with 

 one or more broad pure black transverse bauds, and the lateral 

 ones with broad white tips; anniUre white. Bill horn colored 

 towards tip, yellow towards base; legs and toes yello\vish; 

 claws horn colored. Length from bill to tip of tail nearly 

 eighteen inches. 



This species is closely allied to the Otis Afra, or black 

 Koran of the Colonists, but is at once distinguishable from it 

 by the white markings of the inner vanes of the primary quill 

 feathers. Its cry is also verv different, being simply kir re- 

 peated many times in quick succession. I have never found thii 

 bird v.uhin the limits of the colony, but have seen many of 

 them on the Bushman flats towards the Grange Biver. From 

 the last circumstance, thry are known to the farmers of the 

 northern frontier by the name of " Bushman Koran*.'' 



Class, REPTILIA. 



Order,. EM Y DOS A URL 



Fam. CROCODILID/E. 



Genus, ALLIGATOR. 



Alligator Cowieii. 



A. supra nigro-viridis ; infra sulylavus ; scuta nuchas 5; scuta 

 ccrvicis 10; porta supra oculos. 



Color above, blackish green; below, dusky yellow; hind 

 head with six carinated plates placed in two transverse rows, 

 viz. four in the first row and two in the last; upper part of 

 neck with ten similar plates disposed in three rows, namely, 

 four in the first row, three in the second, and two in the. last; 

 the outermost one on each side of the two first rows -Lss dis- 

 tinct than the centre ones; over each eye an irregular elevated 

 longitudinal boney ridge ; top of head flat; muzzle rounded; 

 teeth unequal, thirty-eight in the upper jaw and twenty-nine in 

 the lower. Back with eight longitudinal rows of cafinated 

 scut»; tail, above with first four rows, then with two, and 

 lastly towards, apex wilh only one, the scales of which are 

 placed transversely, and upon their sides, with the edge of one 

 overlapping the next to it like tiles upon a house. 



• Many interesting species of ibis genus hare already beon discovered is 

 Sou ili Africa, and doubtless llic catalogue will yet be extended vrbcD mora 

 aitci.iion in devoted to tlie examination of the individual characters of bird*. 

 The species at -present known to us nre — Otit Arabs. Cut. Kuif kop Peauw. 

 —Oiii ri'ficoUit. Cuv. red necked Peauw.— (Jtit Cnltii. Smilh tiimi. black 

 throaii'd Peauw — Olit Afra. Lin. blacKKoran.— Ol it Torquata. Cw*. brown 

 Koran. — Otit Vigorsii Smith mms. Karoo Koran. — Otil Icrciii fmithmmt. 

 blut bellied Koran,— Otis Afroidct Smith, UusUmau Koran; 



