12 The South African Birds oj Prey 



L. E. Taylor mentions its food at Irene as consibting 

 largely of red hunting spiders. My own experience gives 

 its diet as locusts, grasshoppers, and termites. 



This species is smaller than the " Steenvalk," and has 

 the best part of the wing (in addition to the head, neck, 

 and tail) bluish. Back without spots. 



The Western Ked-legged Kestrel (CercJmeis vesper- 

 tiniis), according to Andersson, visits German South- 

 West Africa in thousands, feeding upon white ants and 

 locusts. 



The Eastern Red-legged Kestrel {Cerclmeis amurensis) 

 feeds upon insects exclusively, according to Sclater. 



Marshall gives its food as plant bugs, water-beetles, 

 grasshoppers, winged ants and winged termites. 



Both the latter species are dark slate above and much 

 paler below. 



The Cuckoo-Falcon {Baza verreauxi) feeds upon man- 

 tids, locusts, and other insects (Sclater) ; "chameleons, 

 lizards, and large insects. Although the Woodwards 

 state that it sometimes kills fowls, pending further in- 

 formation I have included it among the useful birds. 



The Buzzard-Eagle [Katipifalco monogrammica) seems 

 to be a real friend of the farmer, the evidence all pointing 

 to its usefulness. Marshall gives the following as the 

 contents of a stomach of one bird examined by him : 

 One bird, 2 scorpions, 2 large centipedes, 4 larvae of 

 beetles, 4 locusts, and 130 winged termites. Other speci- 

 mens contained mainly scorpions and centipedes, and 

 one a small viperine snake. C. H. Taylor gives its foods 

 as consisting of lizards ; Heuglin as plant-bugs, ortho- 

 pterous insects, lizards, and rats. Colour above, slate 

 grey ; below, narrowly barred with white and dark grey. 



Only a passing reference to the Vultures is necessary, 

 as, owing to their almost exclusive diet of carrion, they 



