BIRDS OF PREY IN CAPE COLONY. 147 



and nine owls. This is a goodly array, indeed, 

 and it is not surprising that the Cape farmers, 

 whether Boers or British, are their sworn foes. 



Naroekas Poort, as I have said, is one of the 

 wildest and most solitary mountain ranges of the 

 Colony. 



In this wild spot many birds of prey abounded. 

 Whenever we went out shooting or farming, if we 

 failed to catch sight of any vultures, soaring or 

 circling in graceful sweeps over some object beneath 

 them, we might always count on seeing an eagle 

 near the cliff tops, or a hawk or falcon on the look- 

 out for food of some kind or another ; nay, without 

 stirring out of doors, we could often watch one of 

 the fierce tribe (usually a jet-black dassie-vanger or 

 a Senegal eagle) hanging motionless in air above the 

 mountain-side facing us, or stooping occasionally, 

 with swift flight, upon its prey. Thus opportunities 

 of noticing these interesting, if somewhat incon- 

 venient, birds (i.e., to the farmer) were almost 

 constantly before us. 



The bearded vulture, "arend" of the Cape Dutch 

 (Gypaetus merididnalis) , was a frequent visitor from 

 the mountains, and, I believe, actually bred in the 

 locality. This great bird is an extremely dangerous 

 neighbour for lambs and kids, and as our mountain 

 flocks consisted entirely of goats, a pretty good look- 

 out was generally kept for it. The flight of this bird 

 is, for power, grace, and swiftness, unexampled ; its 

 ordinary passage through the air seems made without 

 any apparent effort whatever. 



The black vulture, zwart aasvogel of the Boers 

 (Otogyps auricularis), was another of our neighbours, 

 as well as the common vulture (Gyps fulvus) , aasvogel 



