NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



These, we say, all belong to one kind or species. 

 We again refer to our technical books, and find out 

 the name which has been given them. If we fail 

 to identify them, then we forward them to a 

 specialist on the subject ; and if he finds they 

 are. a kind unknown to science, he gives them a 

 name by which they are ever afterwards known. 

 Supposing a Jumping Shrew was handed to a 

 Zoologist who had never seen such a creature 

 before, and you asked him to classify it. He would 

 examine its anatomy, principally the teeth, and 

 would pronounce it to belong to the insect-eating 

 order of animals. Turning up his books he finds it 

 is one of the Jumping Shrews. Again examining 

 its anatomy, he soon discovers to what Genus and 

 Species it belongs. He would then classify it after 

 this fashion : 



Order: INSECTIVORA. 



Family : Macroscelididje, 

 Genus : Macroscelides. 

 Species : Macroscelides proboscideus. 

 Common name : Cape Jumping Shrew, other- 

 wise known as the Elephant Shrew. 

 Distribution : Cape Province. 



We often find that animals of the same species 

 or kind, Uving in different parts of the country, 

 differ from one another usually in size and colora- 

 tion, owing to differences in the food and 

 environment. When we find this out, we dis- 



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