Mr. T. Ayres on the OrnitJiology of Transvaal. 221 



length both birds alighted^ and on my brother going to the 

 spot he found that they had killed and had already partially 

 devoured a very large and j)oisonous snake called by the 

 Boers the " Swart Ring-hals/^ 



Aquila verreauxi, Less. Verreaux's Eagle. 



Male, very nearly adult^ shot near Rustenburg, October 

 1882. Iris hazel; bill whitish ashy, but darker towards the 

 tip ; cere light yellow, this tint extending also on to the 

 basal portion of the bill ; bare skin about the eye light yel- 

 low; feet dirty yellow. Length 29 inches. 



This is the only specimen of this lovely Eagle which has 

 fallen to my gun; but amongst the Magaliesbergen it is not 

 uncommon, and is always, according to my observation, in 

 pairs. It is conspicuous from its jet-black plumage and white 

 back. It nests on the ledges of precipices^ generally choos- 

 ing such as are inaccessible. The Boers say that it usually 

 hunts in couples, carrying oflP their young goats, fowls, &c. ; 

 they also assert that when it finds a ^'^ klipspringer^' (our 

 chamois) on the edge of a precipice, it dashes at it with 

 wonderful force, and knocking off its victim, follows it with 

 such velocity as to reach it almost immediately after it has 

 been killed by its fall on the rocks below ; it is even said 

 that the much larger " Rehbuck " frequently shares the same 

 fate, and I have no doubt of the truth of the statement. 



When this Eagle is freshly killed its powerful build is very 

 noticeable, as are also its wonderfully heavy and powerful 

 legs and its enormous feet and claws. 



The specimen now sent I shot amongst the mountains. 

 Observing two of them, probably a pair, I sat down amongst 

 some rocks on the edge of a precipice and waited till, as 

 they were circling about, the cock bird came within range of 

 an A A A, which brought him down to the bottom; I waited 

 a little longer before descending to secure my prize, and by 

 doing so I very nearly obtained the other also. 



362. TiNNUNCULUS PEKiNENsis, Swiuh. Eastern Grey- 

 winged Kestrel. 



[Mr. Ayres has sent two adult male Kestrels, which appear 



