14 Mr. Austin Roberts on 



I have said before that the bnshveld is full of surprises, 

 and^ indeed, this is so true that even those who reside tliere 

 are often surprised to see sometliing new to them. It looks 

 so barren, and so many things are lost to sight in its A^ery 

 barrenness, that one must look carefully indeed to find its 

 secrets. 



To return to our daybreak experiences. As soon as the 

 sun has risen we begin to gaze around in the trees near 

 the camp. It is at such times of leisure that we find there 

 are nests in almost every tree, for in the ordinary rapid 

 survey during the busier part of the day we miss much. 

 The grass is too wet with dew to allow of our going far, and 

 we just stroll along a road, if there be one near, and note the 

 trees we will visit later in the day. After an early breakfast 

 we start the search again, and he would be hardened indeed 

 who could keep up an unabating interest throughout the 

 day ; by the end of five or six hours we have done 

 enough, and either " inspan " and return home late in the 

 afternoon, or search with less diligence in the vicinity of 

 the camp. 



Such, then, are the conditions of the bushveld as they 

 strike the excursionist; but there are so many points of 

 interest that one could continue the description at consider- 

 able length, and we must therefore confine this discussion to 

 the little that was noted. 



Southern Ostrich (StrutJiio australis). — Ostriches still 

 occur in undisturbed parts of the bushveld, and during the 

 early summer months they could be heard booming their 

 challenges. Individuals and small parties could also be 

 seen occasionally, but made off at once when they found 

 themselves watched. Attempts have been made to tamo 

 them, but without success. They are easily scared, and 

 when stampeding rush into the fences and are cither killed 

 or break their legs, which necessitates their 1 eing killed. 

 Mr. F. 0. Noome informs me that he has often found nests 

 with only one egg, which is said to be due to the jackals 

 eating the rest : to break the eggs, jackals are said to 



