48 Mr. W, Ayres on Birds collected in the 



385. LopHOAETUs OCCIPITALIS (Daud.) . Long-crested 

 African Hawk-eagle. 



Male, immature, shot 1st July, 1885, at the junction of 

 the Mashupan and Olifants rivers (Transvaal). 



There was a dead stump in an old Kaffir garden close to 

 my skerm on which I several times noticed this bird sitting, 

 no doubt watching for rats ; and when I had the time to 

 spare I shot and preserved it. I only saw one other at that 

 place, and had not previously met with them since leaving 

 the coast. These Eagles perch on some low bush or dead 

 stump when watching for their prey, M'hich principally con- 

 sists of rats, which they swallow whole; they are not shy 

 birds, and when disturbed they fly low and usually settle 

 again close by. 



Haliaetus vocifer (Daud.). African Sea-eagle. 



Male, adult, shot at Rovi-rand, in Umzeilla^s country, 

 July 1885. 



I met with a few of these Eagles on the Olifants and 

 Lehtaba rivers ; the present specimen I killed with my rifle 

 while it was perched on the branch of a tree overhanging 

 the Spruit at Rovi-rand near the Lehtaba river. 



These Eagles are shy birds, and it is very difficult to get 

 within shot-range of them; one evening, however, just at 

 dusk, one allowed me to pass within twenty yards of it as it 

 was sitting on a dead tree, where it had evidently taken up 

 its quarters for the night ; for, on returning at early dawn, 

 after watching all night for game, I found it still in the 

 same place, and again it allowed me to pass close to it. 



HuHUA lactea (Temm.). Verreaux's Owl. 



Female, shot 5th August, 1885, near the Sinquitzie river 

 (a small river in Umzeilla^s country), in lat. 23° 30' and 

 long. 32°. 



Passing under a large tree in the dense bush by which the 

 river Sinquitzie is bordered for about a mile on either side, I 

 disturbed this Owl, which flew off" and alighted high up in 

 the branches of another very large tree close by, where it had 

 hardly settled when I heard a rush of wings and saw a small 



