LOCUST BIRDS 9 



In January, 1906, at Brandfort, Orange Kiver Colony, 

 a large flock of these birds were busy making a morning 

 meal off a swarm of locusts. The sun had not yet 

 warmed the insects up to a proper degree of activity, 

 and the birds had in consequence a fairly easy time of 

 it. Flying in a crescent-shaped flock they would bear 

 down on the locusts and sweep over them with the 

 effect of putting them on the wing. As soon as this was 

 accomplished and the insects were about 2 or 3 feet 

 from the ground, the flock of birds wheeled with the 

 rapidity of thought, the outer edges of the crescent con- 

 verging to the centre, and enclosing the insects in a 

 living circle. The startled locusts, in their half lethargic 

 condition, immediately settled again amidst a perfect 

 hail of dropping wings, and the birds would repeat 

 the manoeuvre. 



Dr. Stark describes similar methods employed by the 

 Wattled Starling in mid-air, differing slightly in the 

 detail of the attack. 



In the Central Transvaal we have noticed that the 

 Pratincole is exceedingly partial to flying ants, hawking 

 them on the wing after rain, when these insects usually 

 appear in large numbers. The bird's evolutions in mid- 

 air are exceedingly graceful. 



The fourth species of Locust Bird is vastly different 

 from the three preceding species, being a Stork the 

 White Stork of Europe (the Stork of German "baby" 

 fame) Ciconia alba of science. It is also a summer 

 migrant to South Africa, and is irregularly distributed 

 over the country, being more or less dependent on the 

 swarms of locusts which it follows. It breeds chiefly in 

 Holland and Germany. 



The last of the "-Locust " Birds is the White-bellied 



