28 BIIWS OF DAMARA LAND. 



35. Melierax gabar (Daud.). Gabar Hawk. 



Le Gabar, Levaillant's Ois. cVAfr, pi. 33. 



Accipiter gahar, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Cont. Orn. 1852, 

 p. 142. 

 „ „ Andersson in Proc. of Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 4. 



Melierax gabar, Layard's Cat. No. 44. 



Accipiter gabar. Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 391. 

 Nisus gabar, Finscli & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 86. 



This is one of the commonest Hawks in Damara and 

 Great Namaqua Land, as well as in the Lake-regions. 



In Damara Land it is partially migratory, arriving 

 with the rain and retiring on the return of the dry 

 season ; nevertheless stragglers remain throughout the 

 year. 



Its favourite resorts are thickly wooded districts, where 

 it hides amongst the foliage, never being seen to perch 

 on the topmost boughs of trees. 



It feeds chiefly on mice, lizards, white ants, locusts, 

 and many coleopterous insects. 



In the adult birds the anterior parts of the bill, 

 together with the legs and toes, are a bright reddish 

 orange, the irides are a brilliant purple. 



Average dimensions of seventeen males and of eleven 

 females : — 



Malea. Females. 



in. lin. in. lin. 



Entire lenj^th 11 10 13 8 



Length of folded wing ... 7 3 



,, tarsus 2 



„ middle toe .... 1 3 



tail 6 1 



bill 



7 11 

 2 

 1 5 

 6 8 

 10 



