BUZZARDS 99 



Nevertheless, photographing the Buzzards was no easy 

 matter, as the infuriated birds seemed intent on either 

 damaging the camera or our heads, and we had to make 

 most energetic demonstrations to keep the enemy at bay. 

 Many attempts were made to obtain a decent exposure and 

 our adventures were numerous. On arriving at the nest 

 one morning we saw a huge leopard crouched on the tree 

 not far from the nest, and on our approach it slid to the 

 ground and glided — a flash of yellow — down the kloof. 

 On another occasion, when nesting in Bluekrantz Gorge, 

 a leopard descended from a tree close to us in the same 

 manner ; the lowest branch could not have been less than 

 40 feet from the ground, and the animal came down with a 

 crash, but without a jump ; the claw-marks were distinctly 

 visible on the bark to within 3 feet of the ground. On one 

 occasion, while endeavouring to obtain an exposure in a 

 high wind, the camera being lashed to a swaying bough, one 

 of the birds made a vicious swoop at young Eoy Ivy, who had 

 been left in the tree to make the exposure, and carried off 

 his cap. The two chicks were finally removed by us, but 

 one of them died when about three months old. The other 

 grew to maturity and was liberated in the yard, but was soon 

 given away owing to its vicious nature. It killed and devoured 

 two tame owls, and a large number of fowls and ducks before 

 it was got rid of. Colonel Abdy, of the Eoyal Artillery, took 

 us out to a nest in Baviaans Kloof, near Hatherley, Pretoria 

 District, which was placed on an inaccessible ledge on the 

 face of a krantz. It contained two downy young ones. 



These birds are demons, so far as the farmer is concerned, 

 stealing any poultry they can get hold of. 



There is another species of Buteo {B. desertorum), the 

 Steppe Buzzard, which is also fairly weU known. It. is of 

 a general pale brown colour above, with darker "shaft 



