312 Mr. T. Ayres on the Orn'itholoijij of Transvaal. 



and clialky ; the nest was a ponderous strneture of rough 

 sticks placed on the top of a large and very thorny mimosa. 



CiRCAETUS PECTORALis, Smith. Black-clicsted Harrier- 

 Eagle. 



In the winter of 1883 but very few of these Eagles ap- 

 peared in the neighbourhood of Potchefstroom, but the fol- 

 lowing w'inter not less than a dozen made their appearance 

 and were seen soaring round on various occasions. Dan 

 Voorie^ a Dutch sportsman here, tells me that he saw* one 

 take a hare and, carrying it a considerable height, let it fall, 

 doubtless for the purpose of killing and eating it ; but toads, 

 frogs, lizards, and snakes appear to be the principal food of 

 this species. 



TiNNUNCULUs CENCHRis (Naum.). Western Grey-winged 

 Kestrel. 



Female, shot near Potchefstroom, 25th October, 1883. 



In October 1883 this species was plentiful in the patches 

 of mimosa bush near Potchefstroom ; in a female which I 

 shot the stomach was crammed with large spiders. 



TiNNUNCULUs RUPicoLOiDEs (Smith). Greater South- 

 African Kestrel. 



In ' The Ibis,' 18G9, p. 288, I spoke of these Kestrels as 

 " tolerably common in the open country surrounding Pot- 

 chefstroom,^^ but they are now decidedly fewer in number in 

 this neighbourhood. 



369. Scops capensis, Smith. Cape Scops Owl. 



Male, shot 25th October, 1883. Iris light yellow. 



Mr. Lucas sent me this scarce little Owl from the Rusten- 

 burg district, where it is just as difficult to get as elsew here ; 

 generally one only meets with these Owls by chance, and it 

 is very difficult to see them in the dusk of the evening as 

 they sit quietly in a tree, and there utter tlieir monotonous 

 kroo-kroo. 



Merops apiaster, Linn. European Bee-eater. 



Three males shot at Potchefstroom, 2Gth October, 1883 ; 



