58 THE FARMER'S FOES 



It is easily recognisable by its very short tail and bright 

 red legs. 



It has a curious habit of turning somersaults in the 

 air, and feeds chiefly on small animals and reptiles. 



BUZZARDS. 



The Jackal Buzzard (Buteo jakal) is fairly common 

 throughout South Africa. It derives its name from its 

 howling cry, which somewhat resembles that of the 

 Black-backed Jackal. 



During the month of October, 1901, we found a nest 

 in a euphorbia at Bluekrantz drift, near Grahamstown. 

 It was cup-shaped, rather shallow, about 20 inches across 

 the top, and composed outside of very coarse, and inside 

 of smaller dry sticks ; all the lining discernible consisted 

 of a few sprigs of green leaves and a bunch of ptylandsia 

 (old man's beard-moss). At the end of July, 1902, a 

 second nest was found at Fernside Kloof, also near 

 Grahamstown. This nest had, however, been built by 

 a pair of Goshawks, and afterwards " commandeered " 

 by the Buzzards, as it contained three eggs two large 

 white ones of the ordinary buzzard type, and a smaller 

 egg resembling that generally laid by the Goshawk. A 

 photo was taken with the female buzzard perched near 

 the nest (fig. 42). Two little downy chicks were hatched 

 which were fed by the parents at sunset. Snakes, mice 

 and rats and various birds seemed to be the staple fare 

 provided. A leg and feathers of a " Bush-pheasant " 

 (Pternistes) was on one occasion found in the nest. 



Ten days were spent in trying to obtain a photograph 

 of the parents at the nest with young, but they invariably 

 left before sunrise and returned after sunset, when the 

 light was far too faint for a " snap " exposure. The 



