434 



MAIZE 



X. 



CHAP, though undoubtedly useful at times as destroyers of locusts 

 and other insects, have got into the way of plundering maize 

 and other crops." 1 



A farmer 2 of the Cape Province states that the crows dig up 

 his mielies wholesale, as fast as the young plants appear above 

 the ground. He tried shooting the crows and also employed 

 small boys to scare them away, but while these methods were 



fairly successful after 

 sunrise, the birds visited 

 the fields before sunrise 

 or just after daybreak, 

 and with about IOO 

 acres of maizeto watch, 

 it proved impossible to 

 keep them on the wing. 

 He tried with great 

 success the use of ar- 

 senic, 3 in the following 

 manner: An ordinary 

 paraffin tin was half 

 filled with maize which 

 was boiled until the 

 grains burst open ; to 

 this was added half a 

 pound of the arsenic ; 

 the maize was well 

 stirred until all the 

 arsenic was absorbed, 

 and was then strewn 

 about the field. 



The spurwing 



goose, sporen gans, or 



wilde makauw, Plec- 



tropterus gambcnsis 



(L.), is often seen on 



the fields of young maize in early spring, but although the 



writer has frequently watched he has never detected it digging 



up the grain or pulling out the young plants. 



1 Senator H. G. Stuart, of Elim, Winberg, Orange Free State, in T.A.J. , 

 Vol. Ill, p. 187. 



- Mr. Ben. Norton, Berlin, Cape Province, in U.A.J. 



3 As specially stocked by South African chemists, at t/6 per lb., for bird- 

 killing. 



Fig. 164. — Maize ear damaged by small birds. 



