Geoffery II. Clark—Some Birds of the Veld



175



we collected it, we found it was one of the non-aigrette-bearing types !

It served me right.


In similar localities to those favoured by Herons may be found

a curious bird called the Hammerkop, anglice, Hammerhead. It is

a smaller bird than the Heron, and carries itself more on the horizontal

than does the Heron. It is dull brown in colour and derives its name

from a curious arrangement of feathers on the back of the head which

gives it the appearance of a hammer. It is fish-eating and, unless

fish are wanted, quite harmless.


One of the most useful birds in the Union is the White Tickbird,

also known, I think, as the White Egret, but I am not sure about

this. As I said, my knowledge is purely local. Wherever there are

flocks of cattle, particularly in moister situations, there one may see

Tickbirds, standing rigidly to attention beside the beast they have

elected to attend to. Ever and anon they stretch their necks or make

a little flight and detach one of the pestilential insects from which

they get their name. There is a stiff penalty for killing one of these

and quite rightly so. The temptation to do so, however, is surely great,

for their pure white plumage would look very handsome if mounted well.


Sometimes one may see, high up in the air, looking like spots in

front of the eyes that originate from a faulty liver, a number of birds,

wheeling slowly round and round and ever and always descending.

They are Aasvogels or Vultures, the scavengers of Africa. As soon

as any beast falls sick and looks like dying the Aasvogels begin to

congregate. How they know, I could not say. I have heard it said

that, so high as to be invisible to human eyes, there are always these

birds, vigilantly scanning the veld with their telescopic eyes. They

are credited with the power of telling when cattle or horses are nigh

unto death, and then begin slowly descending, waiting for their intended

dinner to die. Sometimes they will attack him while he is still alive,

first tearing out his eyes and then slashing him to ribbons with their

terrible beaks. It is also said that within a certain range they cannot

see clearly as their eyes are attuned only to long ranges. Certain

it is that they always take a much longer time proportionately in

doing the last distance to the dying beast, which does look as though

they were hunting by scent.



