Natal province - descriptive guide and official hand-book (1911) (14737636766)

Identifier: natalprovincedes00tatl (find matches)
Title: Natal province : descriptive guide and official hand-book
Year: 1911 (1910s)
Authors: Tatlow, A.H South African Railways. Publicity Dept
Subjects: Railroads
Publisher: Durban, Natal : South African Railways Printing Works
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto



Text Appearing Before Image:
absence of teeth, and when present there is no enamel on them. There are only two examples of this order in South Africa. The Scaly Ant-eater or Pangolin (Mams temmineki) is covered with overlappingbrown horny plates. The head is very small and there are no teeth. It is found in theOrange Free State and the Transvaal, but does not occur in Natal. It burrows in the ground and feeds on termites and ants. The Aard-Vark (Oryeteropus afer) is somewhat pig-like in shape ; the body is scantilycovered with hair ; the jaws are provided with widely-separated, flat-crowned teeth with noenamel ; the ears are large, and the tail is very thick. The animal occurs throughout South Africa. It forms large burrows on the openveld by means of its short powerful fore-feet. The food consists of termites which arecollected by the long sticky tongue. The aard-vark is strictly nocturnal, and consequently though fairly common it is seldomseen. It is able to dig into the hardest ground with wonderful facility.
Text Appearing After Image:
Aurd-VurU or Ant Pig 494BIRDS Birds have been divided into those that are flightless, such as ostriches and emus(Ratit^), and the ordinary flying birds in which there is a prominent ridge or keel to thesternum to which the great muscles moving the wings are attached (Carinatve). In Africa the only ratite bird that occurs is the Ostrich. This is the largest livingbird. The species that is found in South Africa is Struthio australis. The male is intenseblack with white wing and tail feathers ; the female is brownish. In the wild state the ostrichlives in deserts and also in low bush country. It is often associated with herds of zebra andwildebeests. The male is polygamous and is accompanied by several hens. All the hens ofone male place their eggs together in a depression in the sand, and the male undertakes thechief duty of incubation, which lasts some seven weeks. In the ostrich-farms the plumes areplucked every eight months. Of the numerous Carinat/£ it will be only possible in this