DA FIX G OF A KITE. 



271 



frequently followed, especially with a valuable gun, 

 for such gritty substances can scarcely fail to be 

 injurious to the barrels. When the sun was about 

 attaining its full power, a very dark cloud appeared 

 directly to windward. We were not long kept in 

 ignorance of its composition, being locusts, for it 

 rapidly drew towards the camp, and was followed by 

 thousands and thousands of birds, of which black 

 kites (JSIilvus migrans)^ hobbies [Falco vcspcrtuius) 

 and innumerable bee-eaters of different species, 

 seemed to preponderate in numbers. As the na- 

 turalist Andersson states he did on a similar occa- 

 sion, I took a section of the sky to enumerate, and 

 came to the conclusion that there must have been 

 more than ten thousand birds in pursuit of these 

 destructive insects. 



However, the flight passed off to the south-west of 

 our camp, but not without an example being afforded 

 us of the fearless intrepidity of one of the kites. 

 William had been pounding for a time with un- 

 remitting exertion a piece of meat destined for my 

 For 



gomp- 



some reason he was called away, but 



j3 he placed the steak upon the table 



I was sitting, and only a few inches 



rush through the atmo- 

 almost took away my 

 before I could recover 

 be prompt enough to 



supper 



before 



at which 



from my elbow, when a 



sphere occurred, that it 



breath to listen to, and 



from my surprise, and 



baulk the marauder, the kite was up in the air a 

 hundred feet or more, with my intended meal in its 

 possession. 



That was not half as ludicrous as a similar contre- 

 temps I saw on the Tugila during the Zulu war. A 

 young Scotch soldier, evidently very lately brought 

 from his Highland home, was carrying a piece of 

 beef, suspended from a stick over his shoulder. No 

 doubt the recruit anticipated a good feed, for he had 

 a most self-satisfied expression on his broad, healthy- 



