NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



collections." " I suppose they took the entire clutch 

 of eggs every time ? " I asked. " Yes ! oh, yes ! 

 They were so eager, you know, and so jealous lest their 

 rivals should get more eggs than they." 



In South Africa there are about 920 species and 

 subspecies of birds. Of this great host not more than 

 twenty species can be said to be harmful to man 

 without sufficient redeeming qualities, from an economic 

 point of view, to justify their preservation. There are 

 some which, when judged from a 

 broad standpoint, are beneficial to 

 man as a whole, but which are a 

 pest to individuals such as fruit 

 growers, stock farmers, and grain- 

 growing farmers. 



The colies or muis vogels and 

 the bulbuls, for instance, are foes 

 to the fruit farmers ; the larger 

 birds of prey can expect no mercy 

 from stock and poultry farmers ; and the " vinks " 

 are a pest to the grain grower. 



However, each family of birds will be subsequently 

 dealt with from an economic point of view, so that 

 we may be fully acquainted with the various services 

 rendered us by them, and the amount of payment 

 some of them take from us for services rendered. 

 It will then rest with us to judge whether any of them 

 are taking too heavy a wage in fruit, corn, bees, poultry, 

 or young stock for the work they perform. 



One thing is beyond dispute and must be conceded 

 by every reasoning individual, viz., that to kill or other- 



14 



('(invert all your old tin 

 cans into bird-nest- 

 ing boxes. 



