BIRDS 



has been spent like water in the endeavour to over- 

 throw the enemy. 



This locust campaign has already cost South Africa 

 millions sterling in active war against this plague. 



Both in Natal and the Cape I have systematically 

 examined the contents of the crops and stomachs of 

 birds of different species at varying seasons. 



During a locust invasion I counted over 2,000 

 very young locusts in the crop of a white stork 

 (Ciconia alba). Taking the number at 2,000 daily, 

 we have 60,000 locusts disposed of in a month by 

 a single bird. 



A farmer brought in some guinea-fowls he had 

 shot during a hunt out upon the veld. In the crops 

 of five of these I discovered nearly 100,000 locust 

 eggs. 



The crop of a cattle egret {Bubulcus ibis) contained 

 1,200 newly hatched locusts, 400 grasshoppers, 51 

 ticks, 8 beetles, and 3 caterpillars. The crop of a 

 bald ibis {Geronticus calvus) contained 3 1 winged 

 locusts, 760 young grasshoppers, 178 insects of various 

 kinds and their larvae. 



The majority of the bird enemies of locusts are 

 migratory in their habits, and only visit South Africa 

 from the north during the warm season of the year 

 when insect life is abundant. 



Birds are highly intelligent and timid creatures, 

 and finding South Africa so full of human enemies, 

 they migrate to less dangerous regions, and conse- 

 quently from year to year migratory birds visit us in 

 ever-decreasing numbers. 



4i 



