FALCONID^ ASTtTK 357 



bars tipped with buffy-white, cheeks and sides of the neck streaked 

 with brown and white ; below, white tinged with pale buff to a 

 greater or less extent, throat with a central brown streak and traces 

 of moustachial streaks of the same colour. Most of the feathers 

 with drop-like spots of dark brown ; these are largest on the 

 breast. 



Iris greenish-brown ; bill black, blue at the base ; cere dusky ; 

 legs and feet yellow. 



Distribution. — The African Goshawk is apparently restricted to 

 the more wooded districts of South Africa ; it is found along the 

 south coa&t of the Colony, in Natal, Zululand, and the low-lying 



Fig. 123.— Astur tacJiiro. x \h 



eastern portion of the Transvaal ; it is stated to be very rare in 

 Damaraland by Andersson. Beyond our limits it is found in 

 southern Angola, Nyasaland, and German east Africa, beyond which 

 it is replaced in west and north-east Africa by other though closely- 

 allied species. 



The following are localities : Cape Colony — Knysna (Levaillant 

 and Victorin), Swellendam, George, Albany, Peddie and Pondoland 

 (S. A. Mus.), Bathurst and Alexandria district (Grahamstown Mus.), 

 Port St. John's (S.A. Mus.); Natal— Ifafa river (Woodward), 

 Escourt (Stark), Umgoye, in Zululand (Woodward) ; Transvaal — 

 Barberton (Eendall) ; Damaraland (Andersson) ; Shupanga on the 

 Zambesi (Kirk). 



Habits. — This bird is essentially a forest-haunting species ; it 

 lives in the bush near wooded streams, and darts on small birds 

 from the trees above ; it is a bold poultry thief, and the Woodwards 

 have seen one carry off a full-grown fowl from close to where they 



