138 Occasional jVoles. 



changing somewhat, and its new habit is attracting con- 

 siderable alarm. Although instances are quoted by Sclater 

 of its attack on living animals, particularly lambs and kids 

 {vide Fauna of S. Africa : Birds, a^oL iii. p. 386), it has, as a 

 rule, been always recognized that its food consisted chiefly 

 of carrion. Within the last two years the practice of 

 attacking even full-grown sheep appears to be becoming 

 quite common in the Transvaal, and if the habit spreads it 

 will constitute a serious menace to the farmer. The matter 

 was mentioned by Dr. Gunning at the last Annual Meeting 

 of the Union (p. ix, vol. ii. no. 2), and is referred to at 

 some length by Mr. C. H. Taylor in his paper in this Number 

 of the Journal (p. 33). 



The reason why this Vulture is becoming a regular foe to 

 live animals may be due to several causes, all of which may 

 be partially responsible. 



In the first place, the decrease of buck throughout South 

 Africa, upon the carcases of which it must have at one time 

 chiefly fed ; secondly, there is little doubt, as remarked by 

 Sclater, that the rinderpest of 1895 and succeeding years 

 drew most of these birds from the southern portion of the 

 peninsula northwards, where the dead cattle and other 

 animals oflFered a plentiful food-supply (lide loc. cit. iii. 

 p. 385) ; lastly, because there is equally no doubt that the 

 enormous number of horses, mules, and cattle which perished 

 during the war and for some time afterwards also provided 

 conditions peculiarly favourable for the increase of the 

 species, particularly in the Transvaal. 



During the past ten years or so it may be confidently 

 stated that the economic position of this species has been 

 very favourable, and it has doubtless increased numerically 

 somewhat rapidly. 



The diminution of Game, and the absence of those two 

 huge sources of food presented by the rinderpest and the 

 war must have made the Vulture's task of finding sufficient 

 food a matter of difficulty, with the result indicated above, a 

 fairly natural corollary. It may be borne in mind that a far 

 more unusual habit has arisen with the growth of sheep- 



