SOUTHERN AFRICA. 265 
We faw alfo the common crane {grus), the Numldian crane 
{virgo), and the heron {cinerea) ; the bald ibis [calvus)^ the 
Cape curlew, and the common coot. 
In the neighbourhood of fuch places as are moft frequented 
by gramenivorous animals, the carnivorous tribe are, as might 
naturally be expected, the moft abundant. The peafantry 
were, however, much furprifed that no more than one lion had 
been feen by the party among the reedy banks of the Sea-Cow 
river, a part of the country that has at all times been confidered 
as particularly infefted by them, and where they are alfo of a 
much larger fize and fiercer temper than thofe of the lower 
parts of the colony. The people of Sneuwberg are very great 
fufferers from their frequent vifits, particularly in their horfes, 
an animal to the flefh of which the lion feems to give a decided 
preference. The farmers here have a kind of dog that is not 
afraid to attack a lion ; and it is faid that two of thefe together 
have been known to deftroy one. It is as large, but not fo 
ftrongly made, as the Newfoundland dog, of a dark cinereous 
brown, with black and ferruginous ftripes, a long ftraight tail, 
long pendulous ears, and fpurious toes on the hind legs. Of 
tigers, as they are called in the colony, the peafantry diftinguifli 
two forts, the tiger of the mountains and the tiger of the plains. 
Of the firft, the upper part of the body and exterior part of the 
legs are of a fallow ground, with irregular black fpots, fome 
circular, fome lunated, and others ocellated ; in fome parts 
diftinft, in others running together in clufters ; the fides, belly, 
and interior parts of the legs, a white ground with large black 
M M circular 
