BIRDS OF PREY IN CAPE COLONY. 153 



the night — for about an hour, at intervals of a 

 minute ; and further, what is certainly correct, that 

 it is shy and difficult of approach, but can be shot 

 while singing, when it seems much engrossed. I 

 fear the old-world French traveller was drawing 

 upon his imagination for the first statement, for 

 I have never been able to learn that there is any 

 such regularity or method in its singing as he 

 pretends. I often saw this hawk in and near 

 Naroekas Poort, and when crossing the karroo it 

 was even more abundant, and I have heard its 

 singular cry or song. This is a handsome bird, 

 rather long in the leg, and slightly resembling the 

 jerfalcon. It stands some two feet high, its upper 

 parts are of a greyish brown, while underneath it 

 is white, barred with brownish blue lines ; the 

 legs are red. 



The chanting falcon preys on hares, rabbits, 

 francolins, bustards, and other game birds, and even 

 upon the paauw {Otis kori), on occasion. All the 

 rapacious birds have shrieks and cries of their own, 

 but the blaauw valk differs from its fellows in 

 possessing the power of making sounds almost 

 musical in their cadences ; these sounds have been 

 compared to the thrilling notes of musical glasses, 

 which indeed they do distinctly resemble. I have 

 heard this hawk's notes in the early morning, but 

 was never able to convince myself that Le Vaillant 

 was correct in stating that it sang regularly morning 

 and evening. A small dark brown hawk, which, 

 I think, must be Accipiter minullus, was very 

 occasionally seen at Naroekas Poort. Le Vaillant 

 states that this hawk hunted in the country between 

 Gamtoos River and Kaffraria, and there, I think, he 



