BIRDS AND FOOD 



a colony. In a short while it would grow as large as 

 a human thumb and be capable of laying thousands 

 of eggs daily. We will assume it lays 2,000 eggs every 

 day for six months in the year. Taking each month 

 at thirty days, we have a total of 360,000 termites. 



It is a common occurrence for a partridge to eat 

 at least 200 flying ants in a day. Reckoning half of 

 these to be females, and that they would have laid 

 2,000 eggs a day for six months in the year, we find 

 the partridge in twelve months has prevented the 

 breeding of a vast host numbering 72,000,000 termites 

 by its act in eating 200 winged males and females. 

 Yet we are content to go on from year to year shooting 

 these birds merely to gratify our selfish instincts. 

 Are we living in an age of reason ? Seemingly not. 



The guinea-fowl is another game bird which 

 renders highly valuable services to man by warring 

 on his behalf on insect pests, including locusts and 

 their eggs. It is a formidable enemy of the grass- 

 hopper, owing to its extreme nimbleness in chasing 

 and capturing these pests. It is out scouring the 

 veld at daybreak for the early worm which goes to 

 bed before sunrise. 



The guinea-fowl has a voracious appetite, rapid 

 digestion, and a powerful beak for digging insects out 

 of their underground lairs. It supplements its insect 

 diet with berries, seeds, and various species of native 

 bulbs. 



When allowed to increase unduly in the neighbour- 

 hood of cultivated lands, it invades the fields and takes 

 a toll of grain. When shot at a few times, however, 



l 35 



