SKETCHES OF 

 SOUTH AFRICAN BIRD-LIFE 



CHAPTEE I. 

 SCAVENGEES OF THE VELD. 



VULTURES AND RAVENS. 



SOUTH AFRICA fortunately possesses quite a number of 

 species of the Vulture tribe, the commonest of which is 

 generally known as the Gyps kolbii of ornithologists and 

 the Aasvogel of the Boers. 



Birds with an unprepossessing appearance and an evil 

 smell, they are, nevertheless, exceedingly useful in clear- 

 ing the veld of carrion. During the rinderpest and 

 other fearful epidemics among live stock, the Vultures 

 were of great utility in clearing off the putrid remains of 

 bovine herds. Even these birds, plentiful as they were, 

 could not cope with the number of cattle that were 

 dying, or had to be shot, and were buried in hundreds. 

 The Vultures' feast ; what a sight ! Yet it has its in- 

 teresting side. 



During the year 1890, both this Vulture and the White- 

 necked Raven (Corvultur albicollis) were common in the 

 neighbourhood of Grahamstown, and no sooner was a 

 dead horse or other animal dragged out to one of the 

 kloofs than Ravens and Vultures could be seen winging 

 1 



