u 



THE EDINBURGH JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



which Australasia is generally exposed. The muscular pouch may also 

 be useful to the bird in running. The cloaca appears to serve only as a 

 urinary reservoir, the rectum opening into it by a comparatively small ori- 

 fice. The bones of the carpus are wanting in the Emu, and the metacarpus 

 is immediately supported by the bones of the fore-arm — {See Dr Knox's 

 Obs. on the New Holland Cassowary, Edin. Phil. Jour. p. 132, Vol. X. 

 1824. 



Note The individuals (male and female) in the Collection of the As- 

 sociation were presented by John S. Lyon, Esq., of Kirkmichael. 

 ( To be continued.) 



TERjE NATURE WILD ANISIALS WHICH INHABIT SOUTHERN AFRICA. 



Having taken occasion to peruse Captain W. C. Harris' " Narrative of 

 an Expedition into Southern Africa during the years 1836-7," we believe 

 we cannot more appropriately gratify our readers than by supplying them 

 with some extracts from this interesting source. Captain H. penetrated 

 within the tropics, along with a companion, chiefly through the favour of 

 the native king Moselekatse, whom he propitiated with presents. His relish 

 for the delights of the chase on a great scale has seldom or ever been ex- 

 ceeded, and the field he obtained for its gratification was all but unbound- 

 ed; even his fellow-men in all their social interests and moral phases re- 

 ceiving a very secondary consideration. The book is very amusing, and 

 throughout written in the style of a genuine Nimrod; its motto, from Mr 

 Pringle's well known work, seems as if it had been written expressly for 

 this adventure. 



Afar in the Desert I love to ride 



With the silent Bush-boy alone by my side ; 



Away — away from the dwellings of men 



By the Antelope's haunt, and the Buffalo's glen ; 



By valleys remote where the Ourebi plays, 



Where the Gnoo, the Sassayby, and Hartebeest graze ; 



And the Eland and Gemsbok unhunted recline, 



By the skirts of grey forests o'erhung with wild vine ; 



Where the Elephant browses at peace in his wood, 



And the River- Horse gambols unscared in the flood, 



And the mighty Rhinoceros wallows at will 



In the pool where the Wild- Ass is drinking his fill ; 



Where the Zebra wantonly tosses his mane, 



As he scours with his troop o'er the desolate plain ; 



And the stately Koodoo exultingly bounds, 



Undisturbed by the bay of the hunter's hounds ; 



Where the timorous Quagga's wild whistling neigh 



Is heard by the fountain at fall of day ; 



And the fleet-footed Ostrich over the waste, 



Speeds like a horseman who travels in haste, 



Hying away to the home of her rest, 



Where she and her mate have scooped their nest, 



Ear hid from the pitiless plunderer's view, 



In the pathless wilds of the parched Karroo. 



The following, according to Captain Harris, is a catalogue ot the^Feras 

 Natura; which inhabit Southern Africa; it appears to embrace the Game 

 or larger Quadrupeds only. 



1. Felis Leo. The Lion. Inhabits variously ; usually found amongst 



reeds in open plains. Gregarious, and very common. 



2. Felis Leopardus. The Leopard. Inhabits thick coverts. Mo- 



nogamous or solitary. 

 3 Felis jubata. The Hunting Leopard. Inhabits open places. Not 

 common. 



4. Hyaena crocuta. The Spotted Hyaena. Very common every- 



where. 



5. Hyaena fusca. The Fuscous Hyaena. Less abundant than the 



preceding, but common. 



6. Hyaena venatica. The Wild Dog. Hunts in large organised 



packs. 



7. Elephas Africanus. The African Elephant. Solitary or gregari- 



ous in large troops. Common in the extensive plains and fo- 

 rests of the interior. 



8. Hippopotamus amphibius. The Hippopotamus. Amphibious. 



Inhabits the rivers and lakes of the interior. 



9. Sus larvatus. The Wild Hog. Gregarious. Inhabits the plains 



and forests. 



10. Phacochoerus Africanus. The African Boar. Gregarious. In- 



habits the plains and forests. 



11. Rhinoceros Africanus. The African Rhinoceros. Very common 



in the interior. 



12. Rhinoceros simus. The White Rhinoceros. Very common in 



the interior after passing Kurrichane. 



13. Equus Zebra. The Zebra. Gregarious, found within the Cape 



colony. Inhabits the mountainous, regions only. 



14. Equus Burchellii. Burchell's Zebra. Inhabits the plains of the 



interior beyond the Gareep in immense herds. 



15. Equus Quagga. The Quagga. Still found within the Cape co- 



lony. Inhabits the open plains south of the Vaal River in im- 

 mense herds. 



16. Camelopardalis Giraffa. The Giraffe. Gregarious in small troops. 



Inhabits the great plains of the interior. 



17. Bubulus Caffer. The Cape Buffalo. Still found within the colony. 



Inhabits the plains and forests of the interior in large herds. 



18. Catoblepas Gnoo. The Gnoo. Very gregarious. Abundant on 



the plains south of the Vaal River. 



19. Catoblepas Gorgon. The Brinded Gnoo. Gregarious. Inhabits 



the plains beyond the Orange River in vast herds. 



20. Boselaphus Oreas. The Impoofo. Gregarious. Inhabits the open 



plains of the interior in vast herds. 



21. Strepsiceros Koodoo. The Koodoo. Gregarious. Still found 



within the colony. Inhabits thickets and wooded hills. 



22. Acronotus Caama. The Caama. Inhabits the plains of the interior 



beyond the Orange River in immense herds. 



23. Acronotus lunatus. The Sassayby. Gregarious. Inhabits the 



country of the Bechuana in considerable herds. 



24. iEgocerus Harrisii. The Sable Antelope. Very rare. Gregarious 



in small families. Inhabits the great mountain range which 

 threads the eastern portion of the Matabili country. 



25. ^Egocerus equina. The Roan Antelope. Gregarious in small 



families or herds, but rare. Inhabits the elevated ridges near 

 the source of the Vaal River. 



26. iEgocerus ellipsiprymnus. The Water Buck. Gregarious. Found 



only on the banks of rivers near the Tropic, the Limpopo and 

 Mariqua especially. 



27. Oryx Capensis. The South African Oryx. Gregarious. Prin- 



cipally found in the Karroo, or in the open plains of Mamaque- 

 land. 



28. Gazella Euchore. The Spring Buck. Scattered over the plains 



in countless herds. 



29. Gazella albifrons. The White-faced Antelope. Very gregarious. 



Inhabits the plains south of the Vaal River in immense herds. 



30. Gazella pygarga. The Pied Antelope. Gregarious. Still found 



in Zoetendal's V'ley near Cape l'Agulhar. Common in the in- 

 terior. 



31. Antelope Melampus. The Pallah. Gregarious in small families 



or herds. Inhabits the banks of rivers chiefly in the Bechuana 

 country. 



32. Tragellaphus sylvatica. The Bush Buck. Monogamous or so- 



litary. Inhabits the forests on the sea coast. 



33. Redunca Eleotragus. The Reit Buck. Gregarious in small fa- 



milies, or solitary. Resides variously, principally among reeds. 



34. Redunca Lalandii. The Nagor. Found amongst rocks in small 



troops. 



35. Redunca Capreolus. The Rheebuck. Found within the colony, 



in small troops amongst hills and rocks. 



36. Redunca scoparia. The Ourebi. Found in grassy plains, usually 



in pairs. 



37- Oreotragus Saltatrix. The Klipspringer. Common in the colony. 

 Inhabits rocks and precipices in pairs. 



38. Tragulus rupestris. The Steenbuck. Monogamous or solitary. 

 Inhabits the bushes of high ground. Common in the colony. 



Note The Plackte Steenbok (Tragulus rufescens), and the 



Bleekbok (T. Pedrotragus), appear to be merely varieties of 

 this Antelope, and not distinct species. 

 r 39. Tragulus melanotis. The Grysbok. Monogamous or solitary. 

 Common in the colony, among the wooded tracts along the sea- 

 coast. 



40. Cephalopus mergens. The Duiker. Solitary or Monogamous. 



Common in the colony, especially along the coast, among bushes. 



Note C. Burchellii would appear to be a variety only of this 



species, of which no two specimens are exactly alike. 



41. Cephalopus cseruleus. The Slate-coloured Antelope. Solitary. 



Inhabits the forests along the sea-coast. 



On the present occasion, we have room only for one additional extract, 

 which, however, will afford a very good specimen of the whole. On fu- 

 ture occasions we hope to enliven our pages with a few brief quota- 

 tions from this amusing author. 



hunting THE giraffe {Camelopardalis Giraffa). 



" To the sportsman the most thrilling passage in my adventures is now 

 to be recounted. In my own breast, it awakens a renewal of past impres- 

 sions, more lively than any written description can render intelligible. 

 Three hundred gigantic Elephants, browsing in majestic tranquillity amidst 

 the wild magnificence of an African landscape, and a wide stretching plain, 



