SPARROW-HAWKS 107 



insects and birds, &c, and is also a destructive bird in the 

 poultry yard. This species is not uncommon in the Cape 

 and Natal, but it is scarcer in the more northern territories. 



The African Goshawk (Astur tachiro) is of a dark slate 

 above and white below, narrowly barred with brown. The 

 young bird is browner above and has the under parts covered 

 with large drop-like spots of dark brown. Length, 15 to 17 

 inches. 



The nest is composed of coarse sticks, &c, placed on a 

 bough of a Kaffir plum or other forest tree. The nest in the 

 photograph was visited by us on four or five occasions, and 

 each time we found it freshly lined with the leaves of the 

 tree in which the nest was built. It contained two creamy- 

 white eggs on November 15. 



It is a forest-loving species and a great poultry thief. 



A fairly common species in the Central Transvaal is the 

 Little-banded Goshawk (Astur polyzcmoides), which is only 

 11£ inches in length. It is blue-grey above and white below, 

 transversely barred with brownish. Although it feeds largely 

 upon mice and lizards and even locusts, it will catch and 

 devour small birds, and should really be excluded from this 

 chapter. 



