FALCONID^ 



MILVUS 



335 



January to April (Ayres), Pretoria, December (Distant), Barberton, 

 November (Eendall) ; German south - west Africa — Omaruru, 

 December (Eriksson), Ondonga (Andersson). 



Habits. — But little attention has been paid to the habits of this 

 Buzzard in South Africa ; Mr. Layard states that it frequents open 

 country dotted with jungle, and that its voice is a weak stridulous 

 scream. Mr. Distant found it very common, especially in the 

 month of December, round Pretoria, where it was a great source of 

 trouble to the small squatters on the veld. Most of these people 

 keep poultry, and their young chickens and ducklings too often 

 serve as food for this active and rapacious bird. Mr. Distant 

 further noticed that these buzzards were particularly fond of sitting 

 on the telegraph poles, and figures one thus placed. Mr. Ayres 

 found white ants in the stomach of an individual obtained by him. 

 It is improbable that this Buzzard breeds in South Africa. 



Genus XVI. MILYUS. 



Type. 



MilYUS, Cuvier, Lee. Anat. Comp. i, table 2 (1800) M. ictinus. 



W 



Fig. 113.— Tail of Milvtis csgyptius. x i. 



Bill rather weak, hooked but without tooth ; face clothed with 

 feathers ; nostrils rounded ; wings long and pointed almost reach- 



