RAVENS — EAGLES — ■LAMMERGEYER 7 



Egyptian Vulture {Neophron percnopterus), a much smaller 

 bird than kolbii or auricularis, and immediately distinguish- 

 able by the bristle-Uke ruff on the back of the head, and by 

 its slender beak. It is somewhat evenly distributed over 

 South Africa, being, however, according to Major Kirby, 

 more common in the Eastern Transvaal. There are speci- 

 mens in the Pretoria Zoological Gardens from the Ermelo 

 district. 



RAVENS 



The White-necked Eaven breeds on a shelving rock or 

 in a hole, on the face of a krantz in some wooded kloof, 

 making a nest of sticks and lining it with fibres, and hair 

 of dassies (Procavia) and hares. It lays, during the months 

 of November to January, three eggs of a bluish-white colour 

 marked with various shades of brown. 



EAGLES 



Several of the Eagles feed on carrion, but as they are 

 nothing like exclusively carrion-feeders, we shall not describe 

 them in this chapter. 



LAMMERGEYER 



The pecuhar Lammergeyer {Gypaetus ossifragus) is called 

 by the Boers the Lammervanger (Lamb-catcher), but the 

 stories told of its attacking sheep, and even human beings, 

 are exaggerated ! They subsist chiefly on bones and carrion 

 and reside in mountain-fastnesses, the Drakensberg Eange 

 between Natal and the Orange Free State being a favourite 

 haunt. 



The bird has a bunch of black bristles under the chin, 

 and the general colour is ashy black above, and bright 

 rusty chestnut mottled with white below. Length, 44 inches. 



