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MILVUS KORSCHUN. 51 
the Biltong (dried flesh) and whatever they could get hold of from 
the waggon—in fact they will sweep down at the fireplace, and 
before you know where you are, carry off a piece of meat. One day 
we came home from hunting, and were getting our dinner at the 
fireplace—a fine wildebeest’s tongue was taken out of the pot and 
placed to cool on a flat stone about a yard from where we sat—down 
came a fellow, and though there was a rush and a scramble from the 
nearest man, it was too late, and the Kite carried off the prize to a 
koppie about 300 yards off and ate it at his leisure. On another 
occasion I saw one swoop down and take a piece of raw meat from a 
Kaffir girl’s head which she was carrying to her hut.” 
«The nest from which I took the eggs sent was in a large pollard 
willow on the banks of the Caledon river, made of dry willow-sticks, 
and lined on the inside with hair chiefly from the hairy exuvie of 
dogs and other animals. The old birds were very bold almost 
striking my hat off while at the nest. In blowing the eggs I found 
a considerable difference in the size of the young birds, that in the 
white egg being almost ready to hatch, the other in the egg slightly 
coloured next in size, while that in the deeply marked one was but 
just formed.” 
Dr. Exton writes :—* Milvus korschun is said by the Matabili to be 
the “ King’s bird,” andis respected by them. One of the King’s sons 
examining my specimen said that they never killed that bird. It does 
not seem very choice in its food, as the gizzards of those I examined 
contained both locusts and lizards, and I have seen family parties 
dining after the manner of Vultures off the putrid carcase of an ox. 
They breed about the time the locust larvae become developed, the 
young birds just taking wing when the “hoppers” are becoming 
strong on the ground. They then congregate in flocks and I have 
counted between eighty and ninety hovering over an army of infant 
locusts and have seen them in still greater numbers, some on the 
ground busily devouring the hoppers, and others perched on the 
neighbouring trees gorged with a full repast. The Matabili name is 
“ Mezwazwa.” 
Mr. Henry Buckley sends us the following measurements of 
Spanish eggs of the present species :—‘‘ They vary from 2°15 x 1:57 
inches to 2°28 x 1:69, and in colour they are white, spotted or 
blotched with brown.” 
General colour deep hair-brown, tinged with rufous on the under 
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