148 KLOOF AND KARROO. 



of the colonists. The word aasvogel, by the way, 

 literally means flesh or carrion bird. Both of these 

 species are bred in our mountains, and if we were 

 shooting and killed a klipspringer or rhebok, or 

 other antelope, their presence was, in a very few 

 minutes, made known. It is extraordinary how 

 these birds will, on these occasions, suddenly start 

 as if from space. The common aasvogel is much 

 more numerous than the black aasvogel, and will 

 generally get out of its way at a carrion banquet. 

 We shot specimens of these birds, and also found 

 them dead from poisoned meat set for leopards, 

 but did not care greatly to handle the loathsome 

 creatures. 



The witte kraai (white crow) , or Egyptian vulture 

 {Neophron percnopterus) , was pretty frequently seen ; 

 in the Western province this bird is rare. The 

 Kaffirs say it nests in the mountains, but I never 

 saw its eggs. This is a singular bird, with its dirty 

 drab colouring, relieved only by a touch of yellow 

 round the eyes, cheeks, chin, and throat, which 

 are bare. 



Of the buzzards, we occasionally saw the jackal 

 vogel (buteo jackal). It is a handsome bird, brightly 

 coloured in ruddy brown and black, with a touch 

 of white upon the throat ; it builds in bushes 

 principally ; its cry is often heard, and is sharp and 

 strident ; it is death on rats and such small game, 

 and will sit for an hour patiently waiting for its 

 opportunity. 



The eagles, troublesome neighbours though they 

 are for the pastoral farmer, have a noble something 

 about them, that to some extent, small though I fear 

 it may be with the colonists, condones their crimes. 



