FALCONID7E MELIEKAX 365 



thighs white, cross-banded with brown, the bars narrower on the 

 lower flanks and thighs ; under tail-coverts white ; quills and tail- 

 feathers strongly banded dark brown and white. 



Iris crimson ; bill black ; cere and legs reddish-orange. 



Length 12-5; wingT'O; tail 5-75 ; tarsus 1-75; culmen 0-80. 



The female is larger ; length 14-0 ; wing 7'75 ; tarsus 1-85. 



A young male is brown above with traces of white bases and 

 paler edgings to the feathers; tail banded paler and darker brown, 

 the lighter brown spaces becoming white towards the outer feathers; 

 cheeks and ear-coverts pale rufous streaked with brown, throat and 

 chest whitish with streaks of rufous and dark brown down the 

 centre of the feathers ; rest of the lower surface banded with narrow 

 lines of pale rufous. Iris, cere, base of bill and feet yellow. 



The young female is larger than the male, has more rufous on 

 the sides of the neck and chest, and much broader bars of the same 

 colour on the abdomen and thighs. 



Distribution. A widely-spread bird found throughout Africa 

 from Egypt to Cape Colony except in the west coast forest-region. 



In South Africa the Gabar is found everywhere except perhaps 

 in Natal, though apparently most abundant on the west. The 

 following are the principal localities : Cape Colony Cape div. 

 (S. A. Mus.), Oudtshoorn (Victorin), Middelburg (S. A. Mus.), 

 Albany and Graaff Beinet (Grahamstown Museum), Orange river 

 near Upington (S. A. Mus.) ; Orange Eiver Colony Modder river 

 (Barratt) ; Kroonstad (Symonds) ; Zululand (Woodward) ; Transvaal 

 Komati Poort (Francis in S. A. Mus.), Pretoria, Potchefstroom, and 

 Marico (Barratt) ; Bechuanaland (Exton) ; Mashonaland (Sowerby) ; 

 German south-west Africa Great Namaqualand and Damaraland 

 (Andersson) ; Zambesi valley (Alexander). 



Habits. The Gabar is a somewhat shyer bird than the Chanting 

 Goshawk, and is generally found along the wooded banks of rivers 

 and in kloofs where it is able to conceal itself amongst the thick 

 foliage. It is not as a rule seen perched on a conspicuous branch. 

 It is stated by Atmore to be a more melodious whistler than the 

 Chanting Goshawk. Mice, small birds, lizards, and insects form its 

 prey, and Ayres has seen it entering the nests of the Black Weaver 

 bird (Textor) doubtless in quest of young birds. Nests have been 

 found by Atmore in the Willowmore division of the Colony and by 

 the Woodwards on the Ivuna river in Zululand ; they are built of 

 sticks and lined with wool, and usually" placed in the fork of a 

 mimosa. The eggs, generally three in number, are dull white 

 slightly stained, and measure about 1'65 x 1*30. 



