3^4 "fKD LIFI-: IX XATAr,. 



tat in the upper midlands, and since its almost ])henomenal in- 

 crease in numbers it has become less an insect-eater and more 

 fond of small fruits, and occasionally attacks turnips, cabbages, 

 etc.. making holes in them and doing serious damage. One very 

 noxious weed is being spread to an alarming extent by them. 

 This is an exotic. T think, of Indian origin, generally known as 

 the " inkberry " (the botanic name I do not know), but the birds 

 I mention feed on the berries at a certain time of the vear, re- 

 sulting in a spread of this weed over the whole countrv. Tt has 

 a strong herbaceous stem, sometimes 6 feet liigh, with a tough 

 fibrous root, often strong enough to defy a strong disc plough. 

 This bird is of the starling tribe, and it is rather remarkable that 

 its original congener, Ainydnis inorio, which used to be seen in 

 large numbers, is now seldom to be met with. 



Of a(]uatic "birds, the appearance of the cormorant, an es- 

 sentially sea bird, in the fish-stocked rivers of the uplands, often 

 1 20 miles from the sea, is to be specially noted. I cannot quite 

 place this bird, but am of opinion it is either Palacrocorax Capcn- 

 sh or P. African Its; they have come for the same reason as the 

 heron, and causing havoc with the young trout, some of these 

 birds have been shot on the Upper Mooi River with their crops 

 full of voung fish. Spur-winged goose (Plcctopterus gainbciisis) : 

 I'his bird in the early days was rarely seen, but since cultivation 

 became more common on the banks of the larger rivers, they 

 have made their appearance, sometimes in large tlocks, doing 

 much damage to mealie crops. Change of habit has been noticed 

 in some of the afore-mentioned birds, a condition that often 

 results in birds becoming a nuisance from a previously harmless 

 character. One of them, the large ground hornbill, generally 

 known as the turkev bitzzard (Bucorax Caffcr*) is another 

 instance, with its well-known change to ])redatoi"y habits from 

 living on snakes and lizards and similar i)rey, to the destntction 

 of young game birds of all kinds, even in raiding farmyards in 

 search of young chickens. .\ neighbour, on going round the farm- 

 yard in the early morning, was just in time to see the last of 

 a brood of turkey chicks being devoured by some of these marau- 

 ders. Snakes and other reptiles are lessening in numbers, and 

 the bird takes to feeding on something else. 



Of the smaller ])ir(ls that have taken up their lial)itat in the 

 up])er midlands of late nia\ he mentioned threi' l<in(ls of shrikes, 

 viz.: Buchanga Assiniilis. (irdinalns i'olsiiis. and /.aiiitirins Siil- 

 phiiyrpcctiis, all of which at one time were unknown in this dis- 

 trict. ( )t birds of prey, some have almost, if not (|uite, disap- 

 l)eare(l. notably some of the larger kinds, two of which deserves 

 mention, 77',::.: Hatleur's eagle (Ilclotarsiis rcaudatiis) and the 

 crowned hawke eagle (Spicwtus CoroiuUiis). The former lived 

 almost entii'elv on mice and other small \ermin, the grazing down 

 of the pasture lan(K reilucing the nuni])er> of mice and rats. The 

 latter has i)rol)al)l\ hein reduced by the shot-gun, as it was de- 

 structive to poultry and young game. How far-reaching the 



