290 FALCONID^ POLIOHIEBAX 



black tipped with white and with four white spots on either web 

 becoming almost complete bars on the outer tail-feathers; below, 

 including the cheeks and under wing-coverts, white throughout. 



Iris light brown ; bill yellow, darker at the tip ; cere yellow to 

 orange ; legs red, claws black (Ortlepp). 



Length 7'75 ; wing 4-70; tail 2-85; culmen 0-45; tarsus 1-20; 

 weight 2J oz. (Ortlepp). 



The female differs from the male in having the central portions 

 of the back and scapulars of a rich maroon-red. It is also larger ; 

 wing 6-0. 



Distribution. This species was originally discovered by Sir 

 Andrew Smith, who obtained three examples in the neighbourhood 

 of Old Latakoo near Kuruman in the present district of Bechuana- 

 land. It appears to be very rare not only in South Africa but 



FIG. 94. Poliohierax torquatus. x T P n . 



elsewhere. Beyond our limits it is found in the inner, drier 

 portions of East Africa, extending northwards to Gondokoro, Shoa, 

 and Somaliland, but has not hitherto been met with in Nyasaland. 

 The following are the South African localities : Cape Colony- 

 Orange river near Upington, August (Bradshaw), near Kimberley, 

 May (Ortlepp in S. A. Mus.), near Kuruman (Smith) ; Basutoland 

 (Mrs. Barber in S. A. Mus.) ; Transvaal (Sharpe and Layard) ; 

 Bechuanaland Bamangwato dist. (Bucklev) ; German south-west 

 Africa Beheboth in Great Namaqualand, December (Fleck), rare 

 in Great Namaqualand and Damaraland (Andersson). 



Habits. Andersson gives the following account : " It is always 

 met with in pairs and usually perches on bushes or on the lower 

 or middle branches of small trees, though I have seen it on the 

 topmost boughs of lofty trees. I never saw it soar like other 

 Falcons. It is not shy, and when disturbed it never moves further 

 than to the next conspicuous tree or bush. It feeds on small birds, 

 mice, lizards, and coleopterous insects, the latter being, I apprehend, 

 its chief food." 



