Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 2 (1898).djvu/289

Rh 'Birds of South Africa,' well describes their habits—"going in flocks from tree to tree, following each other almost in single file;" and "if a wounded one gets into a tree it is extremely difficult to retrieve it." This last statement was precisely my own experience; and I had to send my Zulu attendant up a tree to retrieve a wounded bird which obstinately refused to move; but it is a remarkably tame and perhaps inquisitive bird if one remains quiet. Whenever resting in the bush I almost invariably expected after a short time to see this species close to me, either hopping on the ground near by among the bushes or settling in some adjacent tree overhead. Another tame bird is the scarce—for this part of the Transvaal at least—African Buzzard Eagle (Asturinula monogrammica). The specimen I secured allowed me to approach quite close; a second example was an equally near acquaintance at Delagoa Bay; while a third was absolutely brought to me at Pretoria which had fallen to a small boy with a catapult. It is, however, anything but a common bird; and Mr. Thomsen, who resides near Pienaars River and has well collected the birds there from time to time, told me my specimen was the first one he had seen. Dr. Bowdler Sharpe, in Layard's 'Birds of South Africa,' writes of this bird: "Only just enters the country treated of in the present work, and never seems to come as low as the Cape Colony or even into Natal, as far as we know at present."

In connection with the habits of these and other allied Accipiters in the Transvaal, I often recalled a remark of the late Frank Buckland, as to being told by "a great observer of nature and a clever sportsman" that "hawks have their regular beat, and frequent daily the same line of country, soaring along for miles and miles in quest of prey," and that "he always marked the time and place when he saw a hawk on the hunt, and sure enough the next day would find my friend at the spot as confidently as if he was expecting a friend by the most punctual of railways." In a general and qualified way I found this true in the places I regularly frequented. If not violently disturbed the same bird may be seen day after day about the same spot and near the same hour, and even a specimen of Elanus cæruleus that was driven away at long range for several days continued to appear regularly and punctually till my son obtained a less Zool. 4th ser. vol. II., June, 1898.