INTRODUCTION. 
95 
opposite coast. The discoveries of Riippell sanction 
this belief ; although his researches were prosecuted 
further inland, and consequently more towards the 
central regions. 
On taking a general suivey of the numerous tribes 
composing the ornithology of Southern Africa, we 
find scarcely any species of the perching order 
common to the two extremities of the continent. 
Le Yaillant, indeed, is of opinion that the great 
homed, the long horned, and the little horned owls 
of the Cape colony, are all identically the same as 
those of Europe ; but as we shall subsequently 
shew that, in one of these circumstances, there is 
every reason to believe he is mistaken, so a reason- 
able doubt may arise upon the others. This much 
is certain, that of the species of the falcon tribe, 
figured in his work on the birds of Southern Africa, 
none are to be found in Europe ; and only one 
out of those now described as natives of Western 
Africa, is mentioned by our author as likewise in- 
habiting the southern extremity. 
The numerical results which will be given in a 
subsequent table, will bear us out in the assertion, 
that the western ornithology is fully as different 
from the northern, as this latter is from the southern. 
There are, nevertheless, many points of resemblance 
between the birds of Senegal and those of the 
southern districts, which serve to connect them with- 
out diminishing those peculiar features which each 
possess. This union is effected by the migratory 
species of Western Africa, several of which annually 
