34 Mr. C. IT. Taylor on Birds 



could get up to them ; ou being frightened ofp they attacked 

 another sick sheep some five hundred yards off, and again 

 killed and partly ate it before they could be driven off. 



First the eyes and then the tongue of the sheep are picked 

 out. In the Amersfoort district I knew a case in which two 

 healthy full-grown Merino sheep were attacked and killed. 

 These birds, although useful scavengers in devouring dead 

 animals such as horses and cattle, are a serious menace to the 

 sheep-farmer. During the war they increased very rapidly, 

 and the wastage of stock supplied much food ; the supply of 

 dead animals is now much less ; game has also been driven 

 away by civilization, and the bad habits to which these birds 

 are taking are probably due to a shortage of their normal 

 food-supply. 



563. Serpentarius secretaeius. (Secretary Bird.) 



(a) unsexed. 5.7.0G. Indhlovudwalilie. Length 51", exp. 

 al. 74". In stomach two large rats, one small snake, two 

 chameleons, and three lizards. 



Fairly common. They are generally difficult to approach, 

 although the one I shot allowed me to crawl up to it through 

 the long grass to within a distance of about 15 yards ; it 

 evidently heard me coming, and stood looking in my direc- 

 tion, appearing to be more curious than frightened. I 

 notice that the wing is spread out as a shield on all occasions 

 when they are catching their food, and not only when snakes 

 are attacked. 



564. Phalacrocorax lucidus. (White-breasted Duiker.) 

 (a) ^ . 8.6.06. Indhlovudwalilie. Iris light green. In 



stomach fish. 



Not common. A fair number frequent the river. I 

 w^atched one of the Comorants for some time on one occasion 

 and was struck by the great ease with which so large a bird 

 dives and splashes about in the water ; at times it would 

 swim round and round in a circle, generally ending up with 

 a diAe. Two large fish about 8 inches long were found in the 

 stomach of one shot. Sometimes these birds may be seen 

 flying up and down the river at a great height. 



