BUZZARDS 59 



camera was fastened quite close to the nest on a neigh- 

 bouring bough with 40 feet of tubing attached. Never- 

 theless, photographing the Buzzards was no easy matter, 

 as the infuriated birds seemed intent on either damaging 

 the camera or our heads, and we had to make most ener- 

 getic demonstrations to keep the enemy at bay. Many 

 attempts were made to obtain a satisfactory exposure, and 

 our adventures were numerous. On arriving at the nest 

 one morning we saw a huge leopard crouched on the 

 tree not far from the nest, and on our approach it 

 slid to the ground and glided a flash of yellow down 

 the kloof. On another occasion, when nesting in Blue- 

 krantz Gorge, a leopard descended from a tree close to us 

 in the same manner ; the lowest branch could not have 

 been less than 40 feet from the ground, and the animal 

 came down with a crash, but without a jump; the claw- 

 marks were distinctly visible on the bark to within 3 feet 

 of the ground. On one occasion, while endeavouring to 

 obtain an exposure in a high wind, the camera being 

 lashed to a swaying bough, one of the birds made a 

 vicious swoop at young Eoy Ivy, who had been left in 

 the tree to make the exposure, and carried off his cap. 

 The two chicks were finally removed by us, but one of 

 them died when about three months old. The other grew 

 to maturity and was liberated in the yard, but was soon 

 given away owing to its vicious nature. It killed and 

 devoured two tame owls, and a large number of fowls and 

 ducks before it was got rid of. 



These birds are demons, so far as the farmer is con- 

 cerned, stealing any poultry they can get hold of. 



There is another species of Buteo (B. desertontm), the 

 Steppe Buzzard, which is also fairly well known. It is 

 of a general pale brown colour above, with darker "shaft 

 streaks " and a patchy white mark on the nape of the 



