1920.] South African Accipitres. 615 



tail-bar also varies a good deal ; in some specimens there 

 is almost a perfect bar across all the feathers, in others 

 it is only represented by a dark spot on each feather : 

 perhaps this is a ques^tion of age. In fresh plumage there 

 is a beautiful pearly bloom over all the feathers, similar to 

 that seen in many of the Heron family, giving a shite-grey 

 appearance to the plumage, which is really almost black. 



44. MilvTis segyptius (Gmel.). Egyptian Kite. 



A very common bird iu eastern Poudolaud during the 

 summer months, but in the adjoining districts of East 

 Griqualand it seemed to be rather scarce, and those I saw 

 were only migratory. In the South- West Protectorate, 

 and still more iu Ovamboland, I found it exceedingly 

 common, especially in the latter country, where, during a 

 punitive expedition in which I took part, large numbers 

 were always to be seen circling about our camps, or perclied 

 on the surrounding trees, and nearly every large tree in the 

 vicinity of a native village contained one or more nests. 

 They were most remarkably bold, often swooping down 

 amongst the men and natives round the cooking-fires, to 

 pick up scraps of meat, etc. In eastern Poudolaud I liave 

 noticed the bird usually hanging about the villages and native 

 kraals and doing the work of a general scavenger; but in 

 addition to this it takes what living prey it can catch, such 

 as mice, rats, insects of various sorts, while it is also very 

 destructive amongst chickens. After rain, when the winged 

 termites are leaving their nests, I have seen numbers of 

 Kites collect to feed on them, swooping about through the 

 insects with their graceful flight, seizing the termites in 

 their feet and transferring them to their bills. 



I have nothing to record as regards plumage-changes. 



45. Milvus migrans (Bodd.). Black Kite. 



The Black Kite is a rare bird in South Africa, and very 

 few specimens have been collected, I have never met with 

 it, and have nothing to record with regard to its habits or 

 plumage-changes. 



SEU. XI. VOL. II. 2 T 



