BIRDS OF PREY IN CAPE COLONY. 149 



Of these grand birds, I think the dassie-vanger {i.e., 

 rock-rabbit eater) of the Boers {Aquila verreauxii) 

 was perhaps the most striking specimen in our valley. 

 In colour it is jet black, with a patch of white upon 

 the lower part of the back ; the legs are thickly 

 feathered, the toes bright yellow, and the claws black. 

 Often were these bold birds to be seen sailing about 

 the mountain tops, or hovering motionless near the 

 cliff sides. Our mountains abounded with little rock- 

 rabbits (das or dassie of the Dutch), and these 

 animals are the favourite food of this eagle, hence its 

 name. It is said, and I believe with perfect truth, 

 that the dassie-vanger will on occasion beat or hurl 

 the klipspringer antelope from the peaks and 

 projections of the cliffs and rocks on which it has its 

 habitat, afterwards feeding upon its dead body. The 

 Kaffirs in Naroekas always affirmed this, and Boers 

 and other white men have frequently told me the 

 same thing, and from the nature and habits of the 

 birds, which we frequently found near klipspringer 

 ground, it is not difficult to believe the story. The 

 dassie-vanger will certainly prey on kids, lambs, 

 weakly goats, and sheep. A specimen of this eagle 

 was shot by one of my friends near the carcass of a 

 dead kid. I remember one hot afternoon resting 

 after a long tramp beneath the shade of a rock, and 

 watching one of these eagles manoeuvring for a rock 

 rabbit. These little animals are extraordinarily 

 agile and watchful, and slip about the rocks with 

 lizard-like rapidity. Long and patiently the great 

 sable bird waited aloft; at length its opportunity 

 came ; swift as thought it made its stoop, successfully 

 seized its victim, and with it soared away again to 

 its nest. The dassie-vangers are not, however. 



