Locust Birds in the 2'ransvaal. 67 



two broods o£ chickens. I have a report of Guinea Fowls 

 eating poisoned voetgangers without any ill effect on the 

 birds. 



In connexion with Numida eoronata, I have to mention the 

 Pheasants and Partridges (Francoli)ins), as they also do a lot 

 of good in destroying locusts and their eggs. Most of our 

 South African Partridges and Pheasants of the genera Fran- 

 colimis and Pternistes, of which we have close on eighteen 

 different species, are great locust-destroyers, although they 

 do not rank alike with the Guinea Fowl, as their numbers are 

 small and they are shot and trapped everywhere in spring on 

 account of their habit of digging for the growing mealie- 

 kernel. I have shot Pheasants with the crop full of voet- 

 gangers, — at other times, however, I have found it filled with 

 a large termite. If it happens that locusts have laid eggs in 

 the neighbourhood of rivers or any standing water where the 

 Francolinid?3 are fond of living, a great many of the eggs 

 are sure to be dug up by these birds, as all Pheasants and 

 Partridges are fond of scratching. 



The White Egret or Tick Bird. (Bubulcus lucidus.) 

 (Brehm (vi. p. 491) calls it Ardea Jlavirostris (Rafui.).) 

 This well-known bird is also a great locust-destroyer. I 

 have seen flocks of these beautiful Egrets in the Nylstroom 

 Valley looking like long white clouds as they floated past in 

 the early mornings. They were going to feed on the red- 

 locust voetgangers, which were very plentiful about there in 

 January 1905. The White Tick Bird is fond of water or 

 moist niarshy places, although one may often find it in spots 

 miles away from any river or dam. They accounted for many 

 swarms of voetgangers in November and December last, in 

 the country along Mooi River and Schoen Spruit. I have had 

 a report recently of a flock of several hundreds of these birds 

 from the Springbok Flats eating the flying brown locusts 

 which infest that part of the Transvaal at the present time. 

 It seems, however, that they can only finish off a very small 

 number of the locusts, as they have to catch each insect by 

 running after it and cutting it up with their beaks before 



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