The South African Birds of Prey 13 



are exceedingly useful birds and do not in reality affect 

 the purposes of this paper. Just to illustrate how a bird 

 may, by force of circumstances, change its habits and 

 customary articles of food, I may mention the recent 

 alteration in the economy of the Vulture. Dr. Gunning 

 drew attention to this matter at the Annual Meeting of 

 the South African Ornithologists' Union in 1906, and since 

 then Mr. C. H. Taylor has given us a couple of serious 

 accounts of its attacking live sheep — though, of course, 

 instances of its killing and devouring sickly sheep and 

 lambing ewes in former times were not exactly rare. As 

 stated in the "Journal of the South African Ornitholo- 

 gists' Union," this change of diet was probably brought 

 about by the large increase in the numbers of the Vul- 

 tures consequent upon the plentiful food supply during the 

 rmderpest and South African War, and the subsequent 

 falling off of the same supply. Perhaps the simple 

 remedy of shooting a number of them in each district 

 where they have adopted depredatory habits may prove 

 effective. 



(2) Birds 2mrblij Useful and partly Har7nfiil. 



The Crested Hawk-Eagle {LopJioa'etus occipitalis), or 

 Kuifkop Valk of the Boers, is the first member of the 

 group of Accipitrine birds which do both good and harm. 

 The harm they do consists of devouring an occasional 

 fowl or dove, and the good that of killing small mammals, 

 such as rats and mice. In addition to these articles of 

 diet, it feeds on lizards, frogs, and toads. It is easily 

 recognizable by its dark brown colour, and long crest of 

 thin feathers. 



The Bateleur Eagle {Helotarsus ecaudatus) is easily 

 recognized by its short tail and bright red legs. Its 

 usual food, according to several observers, consists of 

 small mammals and reptiles, but it also feeds on carrion, 

 according to Sowerby and Hutchinson. It has been 

 reported to attack poultry, but the experiences of Layard 

 disprove this, as he says he kept one in his fowl-house 



