44 FRIENDS OF THE AGRICULTURIST 



The Larger Kestrel (G. rupicoloides) differs from the 

 foregoing species in being paler above, the head uniform 

 with the back, and its considerably larger size. 



It is, so far as we can ascertain, a " partial migrant," 

 and is spread over the greater part of the African 

 continent. 



We took a clutch of ; five eggs from the deserted nest 

 of a Secretary Bird ; these varied considerably both in 

 ground colour and in markings, but in'the main resembled 

 those of rupicola, being, however, a little more elongated 

 in shape, with a narrower diameter. 



The Lesser Kestrel (C. naumanni) is a migrant from 

 Southern Europe, Northern Africa and Asia, where it 

 breeds, arriving in South Africa about October. 



It is smaller than rupicola ; the male has the head, 

 neck, rump region, tail and wings bluish-grey ; the back 

 of a cinnamon colour without spots ; below paler than 

 the back with a few scattered spots. The female re- 

 sembles that of rupicola, but is without the blue head. 



At Irene the Lesser Kestrel is very common during 

 the summer months, but strange to say it is only an 

 occasional visitor to Modderfontein (some 20 miles to 

 the south). In Albany these birds are usually very 

 scarce, but on one occasion the Division was visited by 

 a large flock (probably a hundred of them) which took 

 up its residence for a week in Belmont Valley, near 

 Grahamstown. They were in the habit of flying round 

 in circles during the day and roosting in some high Gum 

 trees at night. 



We had the camera focussed on a small dead tree 

 which seemed a favourite perching place, with about 

 20 yards of tubing attached to the shutter. There were 

 about thirty birds on the tree when a passing herd-boy, 



