Birds of Gazaland, Southern Rhodesia. 303 
birds of prey. It first appears in September, and the Kafirs 
regard its coming as a signal to prepare the ground for 
the season’s crops. For some time after its arrival it may 
be seen wherever a grass-fire is in progress, seizing the 
locusts and other insects as they fly from the flames and eating 
them, held firmly in one claw, while on the wing. It also 
accompanies the swarms of locusts, and during this time is not 
so troublesome to the poultry-yard as a little later, during 
the breeding-season. At the end of October I found a pair 
nesting high in a large African mahogany (Khaya senegal- 
ensis) close to the homestead of one of my neighbours. The 
nest, which was inaccessible, was a large structure cf sticks. 
This species leaves us in February, and the local natives believe 
that at that time it retires to a hollow tree, where it has 
already laid up a store of dried meat (small birds, mice, 
lizards, &c.) and a quantity of locusts, and there, losing all 
its feathers and becoming perfectly bald and blind, remains 
ina helpless state, sustained by its store of meat and locusts, 
till the following spring, when its feathers grow, its eyes 
regain their sight, and it sallies forth to once again harry the 
chickens for a season. 
150. Astur racuiro. African Goshawk. 
Mr. Stanley writes that he has just obtained one of these 
birds at Mafusi. 
151. Asrur potyzonoipxEs. Little Banded Goshawk. 
By no means so plentiful as in the neighbourhood of 
Salisbury. I kept a pair of young birds for ashort time last 
spring, but they were exceedingly quarrelsome and finally 
had a battle royal, in the course of which the stronger bird 
slew and ate her brother, subsequently herself dying of her 
wounds. 
152. Circus macrurvus. Pale Harrier. 
Occasionally seen skimming over the hills with its low 
graceful flight: at least one individual, and possibly more, 
remained with us throughout the past winter, and was to 
be seen almost daily beating over an early “burn” in 
the immediate neighbourhood of my homestead. 
