WEIGHTS OF HEAVY GAME ANIMALS. 55 



of these the ostrich, and the emu, are well-known 

 and notable examples. 



Mr. Burchell, the naturalist and well-known South 

 African traveller of the early part of the present century, 

 states that nothing struck him more forcibly, when 

 he afterwards entered Brazil, than the splendour of 

 South American vegetation as contrasted with that of 

 South Africa, together with the absence of all large 

 quadrupeds. 



Captain Burton, the African traveller, in one of his 

 papers published in " The Journal of the Royal Geogra- 

 phical Society," has been struck with the same remark- 

 able fact, for speaking of the great African equatorial 

 forests he remarks that, " The deep African forest is 

 everywhere unfit to support animal life, unless it is 

 broken by large clear spaces, where beasts can enjoy 

 sun and air." 



In illustration of these facts, Mr. Darwin, in his 

 " Naturalist's Voyage, " mentions some curious details 

 respecting the results of some observations which have 

 been made as to the relative weights of the largest 

 game animals found in South Africa and South 

 America respectively. He says 



" We may take 5 tons as the average weight of a full-grown 

 elephant. The elephant killed at the Exeter Change was 

 estimated (being partly weighed) at 5^ tons; at the Surrey 

 gardens a hippopotamus cut in pieces was estimated at 3^ 

 tons. We may give 3| tons nearly to each of the 5 rhinoceri,, 

 i ton to the giraffe, half a ton to the Bos Kaffir (Cape 

 buffalo) and eland. This will give an average of 2.7 tons 

 for the 10 largest herbivorous animals of South Africa. In 

 South America we have 2 tapirs, say 600 Ibs. The guanaco 

 550 Ibs. The vicuna 550 Ibs. 3 deer 500 Ibs each. The 



