Conies. 79 



ID families in hollows and crevices of rocks, both, 

 on the summits and sides of hills, as well as near 

 the seashore, even a little above high- water mark 

 that in winter it is fond of coming out of its hole 

 and sunning itself on the lee side of a rock, and 

 in summer of enjoying the breeze on the top ; but 

 that in both instances, as well as when it feeds, a 

 sentinel, generally an old male, is on the look-out, 

 which gives notice of the approach of danger by a 

 shrill prolonged cry. It would appear to make an 

 amusing pet, if taken young and allowed to run 

 about the house, and is described as being remark- 

 ably clean in its habits, and inclined to be sociable, 

 but if shut up, to become savage and snarling. 

 Layard, in his Birds of South Africa, states that 

 Verreaux's eagle is called Dassie Vanger (coney- 

 eater) by the colonists, from feeding principally on 

 the coney or rock-rabbit, H. capensis. H. dorsalis 

 was described by Mr. Louis Fraser in 1852 from 

 a specimen obtained from the island of Fernando 

 Po ; he tells us that its native name is 'Nybar, that 

 it is nocturnal in its habits, and no doubt common, 

 as its loud cry of ccurr-ccurr-ccurr may be heard 

 every evening after dark during the commence- 

 ment of the rains, and that the natives say that it 

 sleeps in the trees all day, and feeds upon leaves 

 at night, but is very difficult to find. 



