from the Am&tordam Dislrict. 33 



553. Circus ranivorus. (South African Harrier.) 



(a). 6 . Length 21", exp. al. 47". Legs light yellow. 

 Swazieland. 22.6.06. 



Not common. I disturbed one of these Harriers when 

 eating something in the grass, when it flew round and round 

 at a great height for some minutes, and was shot on returning 

 to the spot from whence it rose. 



554. PoLYBOROiDES TYPicus. (Harrier Hawk.) 

 (a) ? . 6.10.06. Indhlovudwalilie. 



(6) ? immature. 17.10.06. ISwazieland. 



Fairly common at times, though I never noticed it until 

 late in the winter. This Hawk is a great chicken thief, 

 though it is so shy and wary that it seldom approaches farm- 

 buildings, but does great damage near Kaffir kraals. I think 

 it is the most difficult to get near of all our Hawks ; on 

 several occasions directly I came within sight of one of these 

 birds it made off. They are very tenacious of life, and 

 although badly wounded will generally make off to some trees 

 as long as their wings are intact. I have noticed this on 

 several occasions : one example which I shot in this district 

 although coming down to the ground when hit with buck- 

 shot, managed to rise again and flew off to the bush, appa- 

 rently none the worse ; next day, however, it was found 

 hanoinff dead in the boughs of a large tree. 



'to 



555. *Gyps kolbii. (Kolbe's Vulture.) 



These birds have been known to breed on a rocky precipice 

 overhanging the Compies river for the last twenty years. I 

 found a fully fledged young one in the middle of July 

 when several pairs appeared to be breeding. Towards 

 evening about fifty of these birds may be seen sailing along 

 one after the other to their sleeping-place, sometimes flying 

 close to the ground and sometimes at a great height. 



They are a great nuisance to the sheep-farmer. Several 

 full-grown sheep and lambs were killed on this farm during 

 the lambing-season. On one occasion four or five of these 

 birds attacked a sick sheep and killed it before the herd boy 



SER. II. — VOL. I. 3 



