BRITISH BIRDS IN SOUTH AFRICA 



than it used to be in these islands, still finds its way to 

 Britain, migrates in its autumn passage as far south as 

 the southern shores of Cape Colony, and is well known 

 all over South Africa. It arrives at the Cape usually 

 towards the end of August, and in some seasons is to 

 be found in immense numbers. As I have pointed out 

 elsewhere, excellent bags of these diminutive game- 

 birds are made by South African sportsmen. The 

 European quail breeds freely at the Cape, chiefly among 

 standing crops. 



Plovers are plentiful in South Africa, and among 

 them are to be found several well-known British species. 

 The grey plover, in its winter plumage, is a familiar 

 object along the Cape coastline. The golden plover 

 is a rare visitant so far south, but has been identified. 

 The Kentish plover is occasionally to be seen along the 

 South African littoral, especially along the shores of 

 Damaraland and Namaqualand ; while the dainty little 

 ring-plover, also well known along our British sands, 

 is to be noted occasionally, with its brisk, twinkling 

 run, upon the maritime fringes of South Africa. All 

 these birds breed — as do so many others of the plovers, 

 sandpipers, snipes, and other waders found in South 

 Africa — in northern Europe or northern Asia, and the 

 extent of their migration is therefore a very large one. 

 Various theories have bten put forth to account for this 

 enormous range north and south, though none seem at 

 present to be quite satisfactory. Another well-known 

 British bird in this group, the turnstone {Strepsilas 

 interpres)^ is frequently to be seen along the shore-line 

 of Cape Colony and other regions of South Africa, 

 where I have watched it with much interest. 



That well-known European bird, the white stork, is 

 now — owing doubtless to persecution — rare in Great 

 Britain, although specimens are occasionally seen. 



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