102 Smith's Report of the Expedition 



which he has expressed, we would suggest to him the expe- 

 diency of making public the facts which he has collected, apart 

 from any theoretical indications which they may appear to 

 present. If as an African traveller he has really gathered 

 nothing, save what is in corroboration of the conclusions ar- 

 rived at by Mr. Swainson, we should say, — Record your ob- 

 servations, but leave their theoretical application to others. 

 Not that we mean to convey the slightest expression of 

 hostile feeling towards these views of which Dr. Smith 

 avows himself so staunch an advocate ; but, if it be desirable 

 that the observations made during the progress of the present 

 expedition should be received with perfect confidence by all 

 parties, we think it would be the safest course to avoid giving 

 the impression, that they are about to be put forward with 

 some ulterior object, rather than with a view of simply ex- 

 tending our present positive information with respect to the 

 innumerable forms of animated existence, their varied attri- 

 butes, and their adaptation to their respective localities. 



The supposed new forms described in the appendix to the 

 report, consist of about sixty birds, and thirteen quadrupeds, 

 among which is a new species of rhinoceros, of which the 

 following are given as the characters. 



" Rhinoceros Keitloa. — Colour, a rusty greenish yellow, clouded with 

 pale olive brown ; horns of equal length, the anterior one curved and 

 rounded, the posterior straight, and laterally compressed ; size of the 

 Rhinoceros africanus. Inhabits the country north and south of Kurri- 

 chaine." 



The following is a general statement of the number of spe- 

 cimens collected relating to natural history : — 



"180 skins of new or rare quadrupeds; 3379 skins of new or rare 

 birds; 3 barrels containing snakes, lizards, &c. ; J box containing insects ; 

 1 box containing skeletons, &c. ; 3 crocodiles ; 2 skeletons of crocodiles ; 

 23 tortoises, new or rare; 799 geological specimens; 1 package of dried 

 plants ; 4.57 drawings." 



" Reptiles, Lizards, Tortoises, and Insects. — From what has already 

 been stated, it will have been understood that the classification and de- 

 scription of the objects belonging to the above divisions of the animal 

 kingdom cannot here be attempted with advantage ; the remarks, there- 

 fore, which are offered in regard to them must deal in generalities. 

 Generic forms, unknown in the colony, and even yet in the records of 

 science, are contained in the collections ; and the species belonging to 

 genera already indicated are, generally speaking, different from those 

 which occur to the southward of the Orange River. Among the snakes 

 obtained, two of the most beautiful belong to the genera Bucephalus and 

 Chrysopelea. The first measured nearly 6 ft. in length, and is of an 

 uniform, fine grass-green colour: it forms the sixth species of this genus, 

 which, as far as I know, is peculiar to South Africa. The second is 

 smaller in size, but also marked by lively colours, and is the second species 

 of the genus which I have found in this country. Soon after passing 

 Kurrichaine, we came in communication* with the haunts of the larger 



