Jan., 1908 THE LOCUST-DESTROYING BIRDS OF THE TRANSVAAD 11 



disturbing the balance which nature at all times, in her own many varied methods, 

 ever is desirous of maintaining. 



Every agriculturist ought to be, in measure at least, also an ornithologist — 

 a bird man, capable of intelligent observation, capable of estimating the results of 

 such observations and thereby arrive at conclusions which would prove helpful in 

 estimating the proper balance to be aimed at, the proper relation to be desired, say, 

 between species and numbers, between natural and artificial food supply and such 

 like factors of compensation. 



Among the serious pests to the farmer in all parts of the world insects occupy 

 a place of almost primary importance. I well remember the second day I was in 

 South Africa. I strolled out into the bush; the day was warm and the verdure and 

 softness of the turf suggested a most pleasant resting place. Scarcely had I lain 

 down than I was covered with myriads of creeping things. Insects of all possible 

 shapes and colors ran over my outstretched body. They were all strangers to me 

 and not knowing their intentions tov/ard me, a foreigner, I was not long in decid- 

 ing that until we were better acquainted I would refrain from taking mine ease 

 upon the "soft and silent turf." The climatic and physical conditions of such an 

 immense area of land as the Transvaal of course modify in a very perceptible man- 

 ner its avifauna; thus, long stretches of park-like lands, rich in bush and verdure; 

 then perhaps great areas devoid of all save scrubby grasses but ultimately terminat- 

 ing, not infrequently, in river banks, dense in shrubbery and tall reeds. Such 

 variation of necessity finds its counterpart in a varied bird life which, especially to 

 a stranger, presented an almost irresistible fascination. Indeed not infrequently 

 one was prone to overlook one's outpost duty and revel in the attractive and novel 

 seduction of the brilliantly plumaged birds flitting to and fro, scarcely disturbed by 

 the white intruder, who to them must have been in very truth a rara avis. With 

 such memories as these it seems almost a misfortune to learn that civilization has 

 stepped in, and on the old fighting grounds is found the uniformed inspector, the 

 museum expert, or other representative of a Bureau of Entomology or a Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. Do not these investigators only too surely indicate that 

 man's intrusion has upset nature's compensatory balances, and the harmony of 

 supply and demand being broken, artificial aid must come to succor the friend or 

 destroy the enemy of the farmer and orchardist? 



We have today quite a corps of field experts doing service in the Transvaal and 

 who by the reports forwarded to headquarters are not merely affording valuable as- 

 sistance to the agriculturist but adding much important knowledge which is most 

 helpful to the ornithologist. 



Among the insect pests up-country in Transvaal, Orange River country and 

 other regions none demand more serious consideration than the locust. The Red 

 Docust and the Brown, both migratory in habits, are guilty of much injury to 

 crops, ripened grain and even to the pasturage on the veldt. The mature insect, 

 owing to its great powers of flight, is more injurious, but the insect in an earlier 

 stage known to the Boers as "Voetganger" is capable of much destruction. Al- 

 most all of the local birds, even hard-bills, eat locusts, while some are such free 

 feeders upon the insects that they have been classed as Locust Birds. Our esteemed 

 colleague, F. Thomsen, Assistant Chief I^ocust Officer, in his last official report to 

 the Department of Agriculture, gives some interesting notes, the result of his ob- 

 servations in the field; these conjoined with such facts as have been personally 

 recorded will enable us to learn something regarding these feathered friends of the 

 farmers of the Transvaal. 



The locust is a powerful insect on the wing and to encounter a swarm in mo- 



