208 OBNAMENTS OP THE VELD 



of our little feathered friends could not bring these self- 

 opinionated old Dutchmen to see the error of their 

 ways. 



Mr. Thomsen, the Chief Locust Officer of the Transvaal, 

 says they are invaluable in the destruction of locusts, as 

 they not only feed on voetgangers, but scratch up and eat 

 countless locust-eggs. 



In the Cape Colony the two best known species are the 

 Cape Eedwing {Frcmcolmus kvaillanti), and the Grey-wing 

 or Cape Partridge {F. africanus). The latter bird, known to 

 the Boers as the Beg Patrijs (Mountain Partridge), is also 

 found north of the Orange Eiver. North of this dividing 

 liae the Cape Eedwing is replaced ' by the closely allied 

 Orange Eiver Prancolin {F. gariepensis), known to the 

 Boers as the Eooivlerk Patrijs. This bird is fairly common 

 along the rocky ridges in the Orange Eiver Colony, and the 

 accompanying photograph was taken at Springfontein, 

 where the bird is plentiful. « 



Their noisy call — so exhilarating to the sportsman — ^may 

 very frequently be heard at sunset amongst the long grass 

 and stunted scrub on the crests of low stone koppjes, its 

 favourite locality at that hour. It may also be found in 

 the thick mimosa-bush scrub which fringes the spruits and 

 water-courses, where it adds considerably to the " bag " of 

 a day's " shoot." It rises suddenly and flies with great 

 rapidity, consequently shooting it in the thick bush is no 

 easy matter. 



It makes its nest in a depression in the ground under a 

 tuft of grass, herbage, or ripening grain-stalks, and lays five 

 to nine eggs of a dark fawn colour spotted with brown. 



The second genus {Pternistes) contains three species of 

 purely bush-loving birds easily recognised by the bright 

 red bare skin round the eye and on the throat. 



