GAME-BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA 



with mimosa trees. It is to my mind the finest of all game- 

 birds, and it takes a great deal of hard work and accurate 

 shooting to bring one to bag. 



The best way to circumvent this wily bird, is for two 

 people to ride about together until a Paauw is seen ; the 

 sportsmen should then ride, not directly at him, but so as 

 to pass about 200 yards to one side, gradually edging in. 

 A good deal of judgment must be used in executing this 

 manoeuvre. If the bird should stop, the riders must edge 

 away until he regains confidence, and the ponies must be 

 kept walking gently on all the time and must not be halted. 

 Then, when you have approached as near as j^ou dare, drop 

 ofE behind a convenient bush while your companion leads 

 3^our pony on : let him get well away, as the Paauw will watch 

 him and the ponies carefully all the time. By making use 

 of cover you may creep within range and with a telescope- 

 sight on a small-bore rifle you may score a buU's-eye ; but 

 as you are sure to have your eyes blinded with perspiration 

 and your knees full of sharp thorns, you probably will not. 



I have tried driving this bird, but it is so taU and so 

 wary, and has such magnificent eyesight, that I only suc- 

 ceeded once in this, when I shot a bird weighing 32 lb., 

 and, from the crack with which it hit the ground, it sounded 

 like 32 stone. 



It is delicious-eating, but requires to be well hung. 



It has a tremendous gape : a tame bird that was owned 

 by a friend of mine in Potchefstroom could easily swaUovv 

 whole an Army ration-biscuit, and was always quite ready 

 to do so. This bird was exceedingly savage, and one day 

 fell upon a tame Secretary-Bird that shared his enclosure, 

 and killed it with a few tremendous drives of his bayonet- 

 like beak, in spite of the vigorous kicks of his opponent. 



