486 



NATURE 



[Oct. 15, 1874 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES FROM SOUTH 

 AFRICA 



MR. J. P. MANSELL, of Brooklyn, near King 

 William's Town, Kaffraria, has sent us the following 

 notes, the results of his own observation in the district 

 in which he dwells : — • 



In November 1869 I was looking for some louries in 

 the Bedford forest. My gun was loaded with a very 

 small charge of dust shot. A large troop of monkeys 

 was disturbing my birds, and, annoyed with them, 1 fired 

 among them at random. One fell on the branches of a 

 bush, shrieking pitcously. I ran up to put the poor thing 

 out of its agony, when to my great surprise I saw the 

 whole troop (about twenty) rushing down the trees and 

 screaming savagely. They came so close to me that I 

 had some trouble in killing the wounded orte, as I was 

 afraid they would attack me. Were monkeys substituted 

 for toucans in the frontispiece to Mr. Bates 's Travels, the 

 scene would be almost identical. 



A few days ago, while working in my garden, my 

 attention was drawn to a pqrt of the kloof by the 

 angry screams of birds, indicating a snake. On approach- 

 ing the Spot wliere the birds were collected, I noticed 

 several dashing at a low shrub. As I approached the 

 dark underwood an Aha;tulla, whose characters do not 

 agree with any published description, rushed out. I 

 struck it with a spade, and then, curious to see how the 

 birds would act, I flung it half ahve over a branch of a 

 tree, still holding it by the tail. 



There were a great many bush birds, but especially 

 noticeable were Tiirdiis oUvaiciis and a Campephaga. 



The first-mentioned birds kept flying round in a wide 

 circle, dashing with open wing and beak at the snake, and 

 screaming with the utmost fury. With such violence did 

 these birds dash at their enemy, that more than once the 

 bird fell on the ground from the branch against which it 

 struck. The birds continued attacking the snake for 

 some minutes. 



While at the Koonap in 1S65 I saw the common 

 yiiida pliwnicoptcya, which had a nest in the trunk of an 

 Euphorbia, screaming with fur)', and attacking boldly a 

 red mierkatje, which was endeavouring to plunder its nest. 



We have heard so much of the mysteries of fascination, 

 &c., tliat I think a comparison of the cases I have given, 

 together with the well-known way in which birds pursue 

 owls, cats, and cuckoos, shows that it is more fear than 

 anger which gives the subtle snake an easy prey, than any 

 mysterious mesmeric influence ; and I believe the immu- 

 nity of the mongoose from the poison is owing to its 

 closely-pressed, tight, wiry hair. 



The wattles of turkey-cocks are a decided disad- 

 vantage to them in a warm country like this. I have 

 lost two from the flies laying their eggs in the wounds 

 inflicted by rival birds. 



Some four or five years ago, when in Fort Beaufort, a 

 friend of mine amused me by Isringing a stuffed leopard 

 to a pet monkey he had. The monkey would scream 

 with terror, shut its eyes, and hide away in my friend's 

 coat. On touching it with the claws its terror was 

 piteous. On removing the leopard it would slowly pSep 

 out, and on catching sight of it close its eyes tight. 



I do not think it is generally known that baboons in 

 Karoo districts, such as Richmond and Hopetown, destroy 

 in dry seasons numbers of lambs. A farmer teld me that 

 they were more destructive than any other wild animal in 

 the district. 



There are likewise two varieties of the leopard called 

 respectively Berg and Rivitue Tiger, from frequenting 

 mountains or rivers ; and the baboons are said to vary 

 according to their locality. It is said that baboons will 

 kill a leopard. A friend of mine at the Koonap had 

 a tame baboon which shouldered arms and wrapped 

 itself in a sheepskin like a Kafir. 



South Afiiiaii Birds •zuhich ci'tt BiitlcrJUi-s. — As some 

 doubt was thrown on this subject in your journal a year 

 ago, I now give the result of a year's careful observation, 

 and I have little doubt the number could be greatly in- 

 creased. Cypsehis caffer eats Pieris hellica and Teyias 

 raliel, also numerous small Heterocera. 



Zostcrops capensis eats Pierida; and small moths. On 

 April 30, 1 87 1, I saw a pair trying to capture a butterfly, 

 which very cleverly eluded them. 



Motacilla capensis — Pierid;e and moths, 'but prefers 

 flics and bees. 



An/ /ills capensis — Pieris hellica and P. charina. 



Orioliis capensis — Pieris charina and P. gidica or 

 P, sevnina. 



Tc/ii/reu cris/a/a — Pieris aoat/iiua and other Pierida', 

 and, I think, other butterflies too, but am not certain. 



Dicrurus iniisicits. I saw this bird dart at and capture 

 last year so large and rapid a butterfly as Philogroma 

 varanes ; it also destroys Pieridfe. 



Laniiis collaris. I have seen this bird take butter- 

 flies, but do not know whether it is in sport or for food. 



The above instances are from actual observation, made 

 in some cases more than once. 



Migra/ioiis of Iiisec/s and Plants. — I have especially 

 remarked, since my attention was drawn to it, how few 

 conspicuously coloured and hairy caterpillars are attacked 

 by birds. Some of these conspicuous caterpillars, on 

 being touched, eject a nauseous liquid in large quantities ; 

 this is especially the case with A)i//ierta /yrrliea, the 

 larva of which every )'ear strips my thorn trees {Acacia 

 liorriaa) quite bare. The eggs are large, enclosed in a 

 hard, bluish white shell, and fastened ih large clusters at 

 the end of branches. They appear to be never destroyed 

 by animals. 



The moth generally issues in abundance after the first 

 heavy warm rains of September or October, and is seldom 

 to be found after a week. This is also the case with several 

 allied moths. Hundreds may then be seen like small bats, 

 and the next morning the ground is often strewed with 

 their fragments, as they appear to be highly attractive to 

 nocturnal birds. The larva is often attacked by ich- 

 neuinons,but still the quantity is unapprcciably diminished, 

 and hundreds may be seen travelling from tree to tree. 

 They are more numerous in wet than dry seasons. 



We have had this year some remarkable visitations of 

 Pieridre. In October, November, and December I have 

 seen enormous swarms, principally composed of Pieris 

 c/iarina, sei'crina, gidica, and hei/ica. The early part of 

 the summer was very cool, but just before Christmas 

 and at present the heat has been most oppressive. On 

 December 24, I found the shady inside of the kloof alive 

 with Pieris aga/hina, in all the varieties, as far as I 

 could judge, principally males. This butterfly is usually 

 abundant in September, but I had observed only a few 

 specimens in the early summer. 



I tried to make a calculation as to their numbers, and 

 selected a damp spot where most of the insects had 

 settled. I counted on a spot about three yards square 

 about fifty ; many were hidden by stones and leaves. 

 They were about equally abundant in other parts of the 

 kloof, and I think, therefore, that fifty would be a fair 

 average. As the kloof is 5-00 yards long, or thereabouts, 

 and in some parts thirty yards broad, I think the follow- 

 ing calculation (allowing for the extra attractiveness of the 

 moist spot observed), namely, twice the quantity, calcu- 

 lated at three yards broad, would give a quantity of 

 i6,665 for the entire kloof. The kloof was full of birds 

 chasing these insects, and two days later tlie number was 

 greatly diminished. 



As far as my observations go, I am led to believe that 

 there are three kinds of migrations among butterflies. 

 The principal relates, for the most part to Pieridre, such 

 as Pieris he//ica, gidica, sevcrina, meseii/ina, and 

 Coitus clectra. These butterflies seem to be attracted to- 



