88 THE .farmer's POES 



colour above and ashy-brown below, streaked with wavy 

 lines of a darker tint. Bare skin round eye black. Length, 

 13 to 14 inches. 



It ranges from the Cape Colony to the Zambesi, but is 

 not found in the Orange Pree State, nor in the Western 

 or Central Transvaal. 



The White-backed Mousebird {G. colius) is easily dis- 

 tinguishable from the foregoing bird by the centre of the 

 back being white bordered with black, and a patch of dark 

 maroon on the rump. This is the Western species ranging 

 from Cape Town, touching the Orange Free State and the 

 Transvaal, up to Damaraland. 



The Eed-faced Mousebird {G. indicus) can easily be 

 recognised from either of the two first mentioned species 

 by its greyish-green colour and the conspicuous crimson 

 skin round the eye. 



The Colies nest in trees, building a somewhat frail saucer- 

 shaped structure of sticks, which is lined — ^in the case 

 of the Speckled Mousebird — ^with green leaves, and with 

 grass and vegetable down so far as the other two are 

 concerned. 



In the Grahamstown District we found the Speckled and 

 the Eed-faced Mousebirds common, but in the more central 

 portions of the Orange Free State and Central Transvaal 

 only the Eed-faced species occurs. 



The latter bird lays three eggs of a creamy-white, sparingly 

 speckled and streaked with red, which may be searched 

 for during the months of November and December. 



It is, however, amongst the Family FalconidcB (Hawks, 

 Eagles and Falcons) that some of the worst of the farmer's 

 foes are to be found. 



