288 FALCONID^ 



POLIOHIEEAX 



light and darker brown ; below, white throughout, spotted with 

 drop-shaped ovals of a rufous brown ; iriS' very light brown. 



Distribution. — The Cuckoo Falcon is found only in the wooded 

 districts of south and east Africa, extending from the George and 

 Knysna districts of the Colony eastwards : through Natal to the 

 Zambesi. Beyond our limits it is met with "in east Africa as far 

 north as Mombasa and south Gallaland, including Nyasaland and 

 Angola. 



Pig. 92. — Baza verreauxi. x J-J. 



The following are South African localities : Cape Colony — 

 George (Atmore), Knysna (Marais), East London (Wood in S. A. 

 Mus.), Port St. Johns (Shortridge) ; Natal — Near Durban, common 

 (Shelley), St. Lucia Lake in Zululand (Woodward) ; Transvaal 

 (Gurney) ; Ehodesia — Near Salisbury (Marshall). 



Habits. — Little has been written on the habits of this Hawk ; it 

 frequents dense bush and is very shy ; it feeds chiefly on mantids, 

 locusts, and other insects, but occasionally on lizards, such as 

 chameleons ; the Woodwards state that it even occasionally kills 

 fowls. 



Genus IV. POLIOHIERAX. 



Type. 

 Poliohierax, Kaup, Isis, 1847, p. 47 P. semitorquatus. 



Bill very small with a single strongly-marked tooth ; nostrils 

 oval without overhanging membrane or central tubercle ; wings 

 moderate, the first primary the longest ; tail rounded ; tarsus long, 



