Description of the birds inhabiting the south of Africa

Abstract

This excerpt, titled "A Description of the Birds inhabiting the South of Africa," by Andrew Smith, M.D., initiates a systematic treatment of the region's avian life. The author begins by lamenting the historical scientific focus on South African botany, which has largely overshadowed other biological kingdoms. Smith asserts that the bird populations in the Cape Colony alone far outnumber those in entire continents like Europe, emphasising the extreme diversity and adaptation found in local species over mere plumage splendour. The text then transitions into the formal description of the Order RAPTORES (Birds of Prey), providing detailed Latin and English descriptions, measurements, and observations on plumage variations (adult vs. young) for several species, including Vultur rufus (White Assvogel) and Vultur Auriculatus (Zwarte Aasvogel), and briefly introducing Vultur occipitalis and Neophron percnopterus. The primary goal is to document and classify these species, acknowledging the wealth of undiscovered life in the region.