Essays and Photographs

Some Birds of the Canary Islands m
and South Africa 1

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FORTHE PEOPLE
: FOR EDVCATION
FORSCIENCE

LIBRARY

OF

THE AMERICAN MUSEUM

OF

NATURAL HISTORY

SOME BIRDS

OF THE

CANARY ISLANDS

AND

SOUTH AFRICA.

ESSAY D PHO

SOME

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ESSAYS AND PHOTOGRAPHS.

SOME BIRDS ^b^.^aO^.

OF THE

Canary Islands and South Africa.

HENRY E. HARRIS,

(^2 ILLUSTRATIONS

LONDON

R. H. PORTER, 7, Princes Street, Cavendish Square.

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AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

The photographs which are reprockiced in the pages
of this book were collected during some portions of a
stay of six months in the Canary Islands, and during
periods of a visit of about the same length of time in
South Africa, and although while I was engaged in
taking them I had no intention of bringing these photo-
graphs out in book form, so many people have asked
me what I am going to do with them that I have
decided to place them in some way before the public.
Had I anticipated bringing out a book, I should have
obtained many additional items of interest, and should
have verified others, which have been left out because
of insufficient identification. As an example of this, I
may mention the botany of the various districts to
which these pages relate, this branch of natural history
being often so closely associated with the nesting
habits of birds.

With regard to the illustrations themselves, it has
been my aim to present the birds apart from their nests,
this plan seeming to show their various attitudes more
clearly, and I may here state that in the case of every
reproduction, the object has been portrayed in a per-
fectly wild state, and among its natural surroundings.

Perhaps the ideal way of showing a bird, would be
that in which its natural surroundinos are included in

vi Preface

the same picture, but however successful this method
may be in a drawing-, it is practically impossible in a
photograph, with certain rare exceptions. As some
set-off against this disadvantage, it may be remarked
that in photography the momentary positions assumed
by a bird can be caught, as it were, and perpetuated
on glass, whereas these positions would tax the powers
of the best draughtsman to reproduce accurately with
the pencil ; in this way bird-photography may be said
to be a most valuable ally to the correct setting-up of
specimens for museums and other collections.

One of the chief difficulties to be contended w ith in
this kind of photography is undoubtedly background,
and a picture that often looks most enchanting as seen
on the focussing-screen of the camera, comes out but a
sorry affair in the finished print when bereft of the
depth and colour which make every item stand out so
clearly on the screen.

But little can be done with the birds except during
the nesting season, some people preferring to stalk
them, others to conceal the camera at a likely spot,
having everything in readiness for the release of the
shutter at the critical moment ; in the former plan the
operator may secure more photographs, but is entirely
at the mercy of his background, while in the latter, he
has the advantage of being able to arrange the picture
beforehand, all that is needed being the presence of
the bird itself The dark backgrounds shown in nearly
all the illustrations in this book are clue to the presence
of out-of-focus distance behind the birds themselves,
this method seemino- to bring into relief the various
markino-s and details of feathering- to better advantage

Preface vii

than if the birds were taken against the sky. To illus-
trate this in a word, the varyino- shades in the foliage
of a tree are seen much more effectively when backed
bv a distant hill, than when the tree is outlined aofainst
the light. Stalking may generally be successfully em-
ployed in photographing sea-birds at their breeding
stations, at which time they are more or less tame,
although the wear and tear of the knees on the sharp
rocks, no less than that of the temper, are things to be
remembered.

I have not considered it necessary to enter into full
details concerning all the birds which are shown in the
illustrations, _^ as this plan would entail much sameness
of description ; besides wdiich, this book does not claim
to be of a scientific nature, save to the extent that the
information contained therein is authentic. To avoid
confusion of identity, I have thought it better to put
the Latin names below the Eng-lish ones in describino-
the illustrations of the birds ; these names have been
taken, in the case of the birds of the Canary Islands,
from Mr. Meade-Waldo's list which appeared in the
Ibis for April, 1893, and in the case of the South
African birds, from Mr. W. L. Sclater's list. The figures
which follow the Latin names refer, approximately, to
the lengths of the individual birds, in inches.

I may confess, at once, that I am no Spanish scholar,
but the isolated words and few short sentences which
appear in' that language in the first part of my book,
have become so associated in my mind with the matter
to which they relate, that they would seem to me out
of place if written in English.

For any shortcomings in the book, I must claim the

viii Preface

reader's forbearance ; I have found it no easy task,
while having, as it were, to stop so frequently and refer
to any particular illustration, to preserve, at the same
time, the continuity of the writing. This I have en-
deavoured to make interesting in a general way, and
not solely from a natural history standpoint.

My thanks are due to many who have kindly helped
me, to my subscribers, and especially to Mr. Howard
Saunders, who has been good enough to overlook my
manuscript. I am also indebted to Messrs, Bale, Sons
and Danielsson, for the great care which they have
taken in reproducing the illustrations.

CONTENTS.

PART I

CHAPTER I.

FUERTEVENTURA,

Small Map. Relative positions of the Canary Islands. Former
Government of Fuerteventura. Introduction to Lorenzo Garcia.
Start for Fuerteventura. Journey to Santa Cruz. Embark on the
Leon y Castillo. Meet the " Colonel in retreat." Local names for
some of the birds. Las Palmas. Puerto Cabras. Journey to La
Oliva. Reception at La Oliva.

pp. I — 21.

CHAPTER II.

La Oliva.

Stormy weather. Algerian Grey Shrike. Courser's Eggs. Houbara
Bustard's nest. Lorenzo's method of looking for nests. Stone-
Curlew. Trumpeter Bullfinch. Camels. Peasants ploughing.

pp. 22—32.

CHAPTER III.

New Quarters.

Attentions of the old servant. Start for Tuineje. La Antigua.
Difficulty of finding shops. Arrive at Tuineje. Unsuccessful three
days. Decide to leave, but am persuaded to stop. Courser's nest.
Photographing Courser on eggs. Some common names of the
peasant children. We spend an evening out.

PP- 33—48.

X Coiilciils

CHAPTKR I\-.
Our last wkek in Fukrteventura.

We are told of a nest of the Gu/rn'. Zachariah. Photograph the
nest. Difficulty of finding the Coursers' eggs. Nest of the Morocco
Raven. An unexpected ally. Photographing Don Ramon. Con-
cerning the Islanders. Leave-taking. A polite donkey. Good-bye
to Tuineje. Arrival at Puerto Cabras. A weird scene.

pp. 49—64-

CHAPTER V.

ViLAM.OR.

A quaint village. The journey from Orotava to Vilaflor. The

Caminero. Large pine trees at Vilaflor. The Frailesco. The

Kite. An embarrassing interview. Some small birds at \'ilaflor.

The Raven loses his temper. The Carpitifero.

pp. 65—77.

CHAPTER VL *

The North Coast of Tenerife.

Play of colour. Spectacled Warbler. The Praying Mantis. Icod.
Tenerife Robins. Teydean Chaffinch. A doleful serenade. The
Flower Carpet at the Villa. Garachico. El Fraile as a lonely sentinel.

pp. 78— 89.

Contents xi

PART II

CHAPTER I.

HOUW HOEK AND STANFORD.

Rains in Cape Colony. Sir Lowry's Pass. Houw Hoek. New
railway. Our landlord. Flower season. Sun-birds. Bot River
\'ley. Some peculiarities of South African rivers. Herons and
Egrets. Skilfully concealed nests. Mr. W.^s Dutch. Species of
Againa. Yellow Bishop-birds. Stanford. How the Weaver-birds
construct their nests. Secretary-birds. Difficulty of obtaining
information. Three-collared Sand-Plover. Great African Kingfisher.
Fiscal Shrike. Bakbakiri Bush Shrike.

pp. 91 — 113-

CHAPTER II.

Knysna.

The situation of the Knysna Heads. Means of getting to Knysna.

Impressions of the Forest. Flycatchers. Quotations on the habits

of Honey-guides. Other forest birds. Cuckoos. Snakes.

pp. 114— 130.

CHAPTER III.

The Estuary.

The Estuary during December. Low tide. High tide. Egrets said

to breed on rock out to sea. Larks and Pipits. Stanley Cranes —

ridiculous antics of. The Salt River. Pied Kingfishers — habits of.

Our untruthful guide. The Hammerkop. Night Herons.

pp. 131— 147.

CHAPTER IV.
The Outskirts of the Forest.
The notes of small birds. Hottentot Fig. Leaf Butterflies. Night-
jars—habits of Hornbills — peculiar nesting habits of Eagle-Ovvls.

pp. 148—157-

xii ' Confciils

CHAPTER V.

Two Kinds of Plovkk.
Light sand on the shore of South Africa. Shore Plovers in general.
Ringed Plovers and Kentish Plovers. White Sand-Plovers — descrip-
tion of habits — their adaptability to circumstances. Kittlitz's Sand-
Plovers — their peculiar nesting habits— searching for their eggs —
sagacity in selecting materials as covering for their eggs — feigning
lameness to protect their young. Ostriches. Horn's Marshes. Snipe.
Stone-chats. New Year's Day at Knysna. A visit from an old
friend. Legal proceedings. Good-bye to Knysna.

pp. 158—180.

CHAPTER VL

Bird Island and Saint Croix.
Impressions of Port Elizabeth — its Merchants and its commercial
life. The S/r Frederic. Major Iilank. Weather prophets. A
fortunate delay. Voyage to Bird Island. A friendly quarrel.
" Ginger." Crowd of C^annets. Photographing the Gannets. Old
gun. Sea Lions. St. Croix. Thunderstorm. Gannets diving.
Dynamite ship. Historical interest of St. Croix Island. Penguins.
Trying on a tight-fitting coat. Habits of Penguins. Another thunder-
storm. Black Oyster-Catchers. Return to Port Elizabeth.

pp. 181 — 306.

INDEX TO PLATES.

PART I.

Ploughing with Camel in Fiierteventura

Plate

1. La OHva

2. Algerian Grey Shrike on nest

3. Nest of Houbara Bustard ...

4. A mid-day rest

5. Replenishing the water-tank

6. Nest of Stone-Curlew

7. Cream-coloured Courser and nest ...

8. Nest of Cream-coloured Courser ...

9. ., Egyptian Vulture ...

10. ,, Morocco Raven

11. ,, ihe A/oc/ro/i...

12. Cypress trees at Vilaflor

13. Berthelot's Pipit and nest

14. Tenerife Blue Til

15. Chiftchaff and nest ...

16. Spectacled Warbler ...

17. Nest of .Spectacled Warbler

18. „ Tenerife Robin

19. Flower Carpet at Orotava ...

20. The Procession emert^ing from the Church

Froufisp

iece.

Pack

. to face

18

n

24

))

26

32

))

36

40

42

46

50

54

58

65

V

68

70

„

74

.

80

86
88

PART II.

21. Cape Gannets ...

22. Malachite Sun-bird and nest

23. Cape Grass- Warbler and nest

24. Species of Agama

Yellow Bishop Bird and nest

25. Cape Weaver Bird

26. Nesl of -Secretary Bird

90

94
100

102

106
loS

xiv Index to Plates

Plaik I'age

27. Three-collared Sand-Plover and nest to face iio

28. Fiskal Shrike and Young ... „ 112

29. Cape Flycatcher ... ... ... ... ... „ 118

30. Grey-niantied Flycatcher on nest „ 120

Nest of Cape Flycatcher ... ... ... ... „ „

31. Bar-throated Warbler „ 127

Sombre Ikilbul ... ... ... ... ... ,, „

32. Nest and Young of Lark-heeled Cuckoo „ 128

l^. Cape Wagtail and nest „ 134

34. Cape Long-claw and nest ... ,, 136

35. Cinnamon-backed Pipit and Nest ... ,, 137

36. Pied Kingfisher ... ... ... ... ... „ 14-

yj. I'ied Kingfisher and nesting-site ... ... ... ,, 144

38. Nesting-site of Hammerkop... ... ... ... „ 146

39. Small Grey-backed Fantail and Nest ... ... ,, 148

40. Pointed-tailed Grass-Warbler and nest ,, 149

41. European Nightjar on nest ... ... ... ... ,, 15-

42. Spotted Eagle-Owls „ 157

43. White-fronted Sand-Plover and nest „ 160

44. White-fronted Sand-Plover and nest in sea-grass „ 165

45. Kittlitz's Sand-Plover and young ... ... ... „ 166

46. Nest of Kittlitz's Sand- Plover covered up ,, 168

Nest of Kittlitz's Sand-Plover showing Eggs ... ,, „

47. South African .Stone-chat ... ... ... ... „ 174

48. South African Stone-chat on nest (female) ... „ „

49. Penguins (St. Croix Island, Algoa Bay) „ 181

50. Coloured Boys washing fish in Algoa Bay ... „ 184

51. Penguins ... ... ... ... ... ... „ 19-

52. Cape Gannets , i93

53. A Bird Island scene ... ... ,, 194

Old Gun on Bird Island ... „ ,,

54. Black-footed Penguin ... „ 202

55. Penguin on nest ... ... ... ... ... „ 204

ERRATA.

p. 29,/o/' " except those which are not able " read " except those
which are able."

p. 57, for " little-wine shop " read " little wine-shop."

PART L

Some Birds of the Canary Islands

CHAPTER I.
Fuerteventura.

CANARY Islands.

Engli8h Miles

A GLANCE at the small map which is set forth
above will perhaps place before the mind more
clearly than any attempted explanation, the relative
positions of those islands, seven in number, which con-

2 SOMK HIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

stitutc the o^roup known as the Canary Islands. Five
of these, Grand Canary, Tenerife, Palma, Gomera and
Hierro, to name them in the order of their respective
sizes, form what is usually called the western group,
the eastern group being represented by Fuerteventura
and Lanzarote. All these islands are of volcanic origin,
those of the western group being for the most part fertile
and cultivated, in strong contrast to Fuerteventura and
Lanzarote, which are barren in the extreme.

My journeyings took me to three of these islands.
Grand Canary, Tenerife, and Fuerteventura, and of
those three I propose to deal in these pages with the
two latter only. In treating of Fuerteventura first, it
must not be imagined for a moment that that desert-
like island can claim precedence in any way over
Tenerife, indeed the contrary is the case, for the in-
habitants of Tenerife regard the individual who would
choose of his own free will to leave their beautiful and
justly celebrated island for the barren shores of Fuer-
teventura, as one who must be, to put it as gently as
possible, a little " touched." So far from showing this
however, they evince a well-bred interest in his plans,
relegating the surprise which they must feel at his
actions into the dim recesses of themselves, where it
keeps company with a supreme pity.

Years ago Fuerteventura was owned almost entirely
by the members of one family, and a deputy Governor
was chosen out of this family, whose title was Co7'Ouel.
or Colonel, of Fuerteventura ; that title has, however,
long since been done away with, and the island is now
governed, under the Crown of Spain, as any other of
the Canary group.

FUERTEVENTURA 3

One of two steamboats, working in connection with
one another, visits each of the Canary Islands once
a week, calHng at its chief port, which in the case
of Tenerife is Santa Cruz. From Orotav^a, on the
north side of Tenerife, where I was staying, a long
drive is necessary to reach Santa Cruz, whence the boat
is taken by way of Las Palmas in Grand Canary, and
so to Puerto Cabras, which lies on the eastern shore
of Fuerteventura.

The journey now is very different to what it was
some ten years ago, when the enthusiastic naturalist —
for no one not interested in natural history would go
to Fuerteventura — must take his chance in the rough
seas which are often to be encountered between these
islands, trusting himself and his belongings to some
antiquated schooner which might very well take a week
over the voyage.

The companion who I had hoped would have been
able to accompany me was unfortunately prevented from
doino- so, I therefore eno-aoed a o-uide from Orotava,
by name Lorenzo Garcia, to act as servant.

As Lorenzo's name will be constantly appearing in
these pages it is perhaps as well that I should devote
a few lines to him, in order that the reader may be
familiar to a certain extent with his personality before
we start on our travels. He was about fifty years of
age, and had been one of the chief guides for the Peak
of Tenerife for a good many years. Lorenzo could
speak no English, and I, unfortunately, could speak but
little Spanish, so we were dependent to a great extent
upon signs as a medium of communication. At this
language he was an adept, and would illustrate in a

4 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

pantomimic way almost any word, converting himseli
for the time being- into a sort of child's alphabet imluied
with life ; when engaged in these little performances he
never liked being interrupted, and if I understood him
before he had finished acting them, as was generally the
case, he would still go through with them. One instance
perhaps I may mention as an illustration. Before I
engaged him to accompany me on the expedition in
which we are at present interested, I went with a friend
for a two days' excursion across the mountains in
Tenerife to a little town of the name of Guimar. On
our way up the mountains my friend told Lorenzo that
he had been informed one of the guides had covered
the distance between Orotava and Guimar in such and
such a time ; this Lorenzo doubted, and endeavoured
to make us understand, by marking off each word on
his finger in his impressive way, that the man would
have had to run the whole distance if he had done the
journey in the time stated. I could see he was still
doubtful as to whether we understood him clearly, so,
stopping us in the path and bidding us to remain where
we were, he began to prepare for one of his little
pantomimic shows, at the same time brushing aside, as
it were, all his previous explanations. He then started
off at full speed, running up the steep side of the hill as
hard as he could. We saw, of course, what he meant
almost before he had started, and called him back ; but
no, he had his dignity to preserve, and never liked to
be interrupted in these little exhibitions, so he continued
to run up the hill for perhaps a hundred yards, when he
turned and came down at the same pace, standing before
us panting, and saluting us by raising his hat ever so

FUERTFA'ENTURA

little from his head. This slight raising- of the hat,
accompanied as it was by an almost imperceptible bow
of his head as he stepped aside, was quite a feature in
connection with Lorenzo's conversation, and seemed to
act as a sort of polite full stop thereto ; it said, as plainly
as words could say, " There, gentlemen. I have done
all I can to enlighten you, we will now let the subject
drop."

Many things are necessary to an even passably
enjoyable sojourn in P\ierteventura, among them being
a plentiful supply of food and good water, letters oi
introduction, and some means of understanding the in-
habitants of the island. With my own personal luggage
and my photographic appliances it will therefore be
evident that my baggage was considerable ; but as
the only method of transport in Fuerteventura is by
means of camels, and these animals seem to be totally
indifferent as to whether they carry one package or a
dozen, there is no reason why the traveller should not
take all his belono-ino-s with him.

Thus it was that four o'clock on a certain Monday
morning, March 6th, 1899, found me ready to start,
with my luggage packed ; while outside the hotel at
Orotava, waiting in the half-light, was to be made out
a carriage and pair, the figure of Lorenzo presendy
taking shape out of the gloom, as with a biienos dias,
Sehor, he passed me to go inside and bring out my
lueeaoe. I found it exceedinorly cold, for it can be
cold before sunrise even in Tenerife, and I noticed that
there was a fresh covering of snow on the Peak, which
rose up. white and chill, against the dim background of
sky. Although I had with me an overcoat and a rug,

6 SOME lilRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

it was no easy matter to keep warm driving, because
the carriages, in order to accommodate the quantities of
luggage with which they are often burdened, had been
denuded of their glass. However, I was too sleepy,
being unaccustomed to rising at such an early hour, to
notice this fact, but pulled up the empty window frames
in turn and still wondered at the cold.

Many of the peasants rise early in lenerife, and as
we climbed the long winding hill which leads past the
village of Santa Ursula, ghostly looking figures, walking
barefoot and muffled up in their blankets, went silently
by with hardly enough spirit to give the cheery greet-
ing which would certainly have been forthcoming later
in the day. All the poorer inhabitants of Tenerife wear
these cloaks, or blankets, which are of the natural colour
of the wool, and are simply fastened round the neck
with a string ; the peasants don these cloaks after the
day's work is over, or in the early morning, when, as we
have seen, the air is often chill. A cart, drawn by two
oxen, would now and then lumber by, too often with
the driver asleep ; but the bells on the oxen always told
of its approach, though we were sometimes stopped
because the drowsy occupant of the cart had let his
charges take up too much of the road.

The valley of Orotava and the Peak of Tenerife are
soon lost to view as we at length reach the summit of
this long incline, and it is noticeable that the snow on
the top of the mountain is now tinted a delicate pink
colour, it being the custom of the Peak thus to announce
to lower altitudes, and indeed to passing vessels for
many miles around, the approach of day. To us, who
are perhaps twelve thousand feet lower down, the stars

FUERTEVENTURA 7

are still visible, and on the sea below us lights may be
seen dancing up and down, as the small fishing boats
ply their trade.

We stopped for ten minutes or so at a wayside inn
at Matanza, a small village and well-known place of
call for carriages between Santa Cruz and Orotava.
Here there was some excellent coffee to be had ; the
native coffee, by the way, is nearly always good in
Tenerife, but is mostly consumed on the island. I had
noticed on previous occasions that this inn seemed to be
to a certain extent the rendezvous of sportsmen, and on
the walls of the room into which 1 was shown were
hung" pictures illustrative of the chase, one, I remember
quite well, representing a pheasant, a hare, and a green
woodpecker tied up together, apparently not a work of
art from Tenerife.

The invisible line which separates dawn from day-
light generally seems to require some artificial aid to
one's better perception of it, for when we resumed our
journey, although we had not delayed more than about
ten minutes at the fonda, it was already broad daylight.
The various signs and sounds, too, were those of day,
and the women who passed us now and again with
clacking tongues were in decided contrast to the silent
individuals whom we had met but an hour ago. These
women carried large baskets tilled with farm produce on
their heads, or balanced pitchers of water with great dex-
terity ; many of them had placed their boots on the top
of these baskets, for when the authorities have taken
the trouble to make such an admirable carriage road as
the one which extends for a great part of the way along
the northern side of Tenerife, it is not necessary to wear

8 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

one's iDoots out by putting them on except where custom
orders it, in the approaches to the larger villages and
towns.

Our way now lies along an extensive tract of high
land, eucalyptus and plane trees shading the road at
intervals ; the latter still dangled their last year's leaves
and bugles, as though in mute protest against a climate
so equable as to give them no chance of a period of rest
and bareness before again assuming their spring foliage.
This hiofh land is known as the Laofuna Plain, and is a
well cultivated district, much wheat being grown here.

The outskirts of the old city of Laguna are in time
reached, and we soon find ourselves rattling through its
narrow stone-paved streets, overlooked on either side
by tall houses, many of them extremely picturesque and
showing quaintly modelled old doorways. At Laguna,
like two well-known companions of the shore, we might
" talk of many things," of its Dragon Tree, of the
beautiful silver lamps that hang in some of its old
churches, or of the Library, with its neglected patio,
containing orange trees now borne down with fruit, and
climbing heliotrope that reaches almost to the balcony
which overlooks the ground. But the outset of our
journey is no time for loitering ; we have a boat to
catch, and though Spanish punctuality is proverbially a
by word, it has occasionally a nasty way of reminding
one that its existence is not altooether a mvth, as I once
found to my cost.

Soon after leaving Laguna the white, flat-roofed
houses of Santa Cruz come into view, the town lying
many hundred feet below us, with its natural harbour
beyond, the whole bounded by the range of sharp.

FUERTE\'ENTURA 9

rueored mountains, which stretches -out to the extreme
north-east of the island.

The steep incHne down which the road winds be-
tween Laguna and Santa Cruz has, at ahnost all
seasons of the year, a bare and burnt-up appearance,
which I think gives the traveller who merely lands for
a few hours from one of the ships a wrong impression
of Tenerife.

The winding road takes us at length through the
town of Santa Cruz to the harbour, and here we find
the boat already waiting for us. There is, however,
much cargo to be taken on board, and a long delay
ensues before we finally make a start Meanwhile the
morning is fine, and a bright sun makes pictures of the
various craft at anchor in the little bay ; out-of-date old
schooners, many of them painted black, with verdigris-
coloured plates, sending reflections of indescribable
hues into the deep-blue water beneath. In time we
move off, getting a good view of the south coast of
Tenerife as we clear out to sea.

I think Lorenzo was much excited at the prospect
of this trip, though he was also inclined to be just a
little home-sick. I am sorry to say he was a terribly
bad sailor, and anathematised the sea vigorously as
soon as he was out of its clutches. MiLy tempestitoso,
he would say to me after we had landed, with a graceful
step backward, and with his shabby old hat, which he
always took especial care to dust, raised ever so little
from his head.

The captain of the boat, which was called the Leon
y Castillo, was Spanish, as also were the sailors, the
latter wearing very worn-looking blue canvas clothes

lO SOME HIKDS OV THP: CANARY ISLANDS

and no boots. Among the passengers was, I think,
one of the stoutest httle men it has ever been my lot
to see. He was very short, and stood up towards the
fore part of the vessel, puffing at a cigar and talking in
broken English to one of the other passengers. It
seemed he had been to most places, including the island
of Fuerteventura, about which he was able to give me
some information ; he told me that I should find it
very barren, and little else but a wilderness of stones.

"I vas dere," he said, " shooten, last autumn, but
few people ever go dere." He knew something of the
natural history of the island, and told me what birds I
should find there. '' AviUarda^' \\^ said, " Dat is your
Bustard ; Tabodo, your Hoopoe, and Engafia, is your
Courser." I asked him the meaning of the word
Engafia. " See ere," he said, taking me by the
sleeve and leading me to a clear space on the boat,
when he stooped down as far as his figure would permit
him to, and ran a little way along the deck. " De boys
run after dem, so — a litde furder, so — a little furder, so
—and den not catch 'em, engana, he cheat, muchachos,
de boys, engafia 7nuckackos, he cheat de boys." " And
the Bustard? AviUaj'da?'' I asked him. He dis-
claimed all knowledge of the meaning of this word by
putting his head on one side and spreading himself out
in a vast shrug. " I am not a Spaniard," he said, and
then resumed his place, leaning over the rail at the
side of the boat. " But see," he continued, " Dere is
Canaria, soon ve see de Isleta. Ah, you chust see it.'*
Veil, across dat low bit of sand is Las Palmas, but ve
go round de Isleta ; anoder tree hours, it may be four
hours, you never know."

FUEKTEVKNTURA I J

Presently he continued, " Ven I travel, I put myself
on to de boat as baggach ; if I a'ive, veil and goot, if

not !" Again he lost himself in a comprehensive

shrug. " So far 1 have alvays a'ived, but you never
know."

He presented me with an introduction to the Mayor
of Puerto Cabras, with whom he had apparently stayed
on his shooting expedition to Fuerteventura, producing
a very large card on which was inscribed his name,
and in one corner, printed in small letters, the words
" Lieut. Colonel in retreat." The designation struck
me at the time as a rather unfortunate one for an officer,
but was probably due to the fact of his having got
hold of the word " retreat " instead of " retirement."
I must say he was very entertaining, and whiled
away the half-dozen hours which on a small rolling boat
would have seemed most tedious ; the Peak of Tenerife
imperceptibly disappearing from view, while Grand
Canary never seemed to be any nearer to us. Presently
I saw the " Colonel in retreat " lying down on one of
the deck seats, so I followed his example.

Another two hours, and we rounded the jagged
rocks of La Isleta and found ourselves within easy dis-
tance of Las Palmas ; the harbour first, with its crowd
of shipping, then a long stretch of sand leading up to the
town itself, and last of all the cathedral, its two towers
of solid masonry standing up, black and forbidding,
above the crowd of white houses below\ When we
came into the harbour and were moored alongside the
quay, the captain told us that the boat would not start
for P^uerteventura until half past eight the same evening,
so taking advantage of this I went up to one of the
hotels to dine.

12 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

Eight o'clock found us assembled on the quay, and
we certainly presented a motley crowd as we waited to
be taken off to the boat, which, contrary to expectation,
had moved from the side where we landed and now lay
out in the harbour, one of many lights.

It was not without considerable difficulty that we
had been able to discover the whereabouts of the vessel,
nor was it until we had walked the whole length of the
quay in the dark — a breakneck enough place at any
time — that we discovered where the boat lay.

All my respectable fellow-passengers had ended their
journey at Las Palmas, so that I was now left with some
dozen gaunt-looking- fellows clustered round the quay
steps, one with a large lantern, almost the only light we
had, and some with empty bird-cages. I had on my
oldest clothes, but it was difficult to avoid feeling some-
thing of a "swell" in such company. My companions
were wrapped up in the dirtiest of blankets, they seemed
depressed, and disinclined to talk even among them-
selves, but moodily smoked their Spanish cigarettes.
One of them at length, peering into the darkness, an-
nounced the arrival of the captain, and we were taken
on board.

We sailed at about ten or eleven o'clock at night,
getting into rough water as soon as we left the shelter
afforded by the Isleta. The boat was due to arrive at
Puerto Cabras — the chief port of Fuerteventura — at ten
o'clock on the following morning, the distance being one
hundred miles, or thereabouts.

I turned in as soon as we had started, and slept till
six o'clock, when I found {|uite a transformation. The
rough sea had given place to the smoothest water,

FUERTEVENTURA I 3

guarded as we were on the west by the island of Fuer-
teventura itself, and on the east by the African coast. In
this desired haven the boat steals along, as boats should
steal along, unaccompanied by those drawbacks that so
often attend sea voyages ; this smooth steammg along, I
remember, impressed me at the time, as being unlike
anything I had previously experienced on the sea. My
blanketed fellow-travellers were sitting in the fore part
of the vessel, smoking, or eating their g-qfio, and enjoying
the warmth of the sun ; the captain and the sailors
seemed to be without occupation for the tinie being, and
all appeared to be waiting for something which never
came.

For hours we stole on thus, the open sea on our
right, calm as a lake, the island on our left, a desert of
sand-coloured ground without any sign of vegetation,
leading up in the distance to mountains, which assumed
a distinctly red-coloured tinge towards their summits. We
saw no houses and no people. Still we crept along, the
monotony of the view once broken by a school of
porpoises playing on the surface of the water a little
way out to sea, and raising a patch of white foam over
which some gulls were hovering.

At length we drew in sight of a cluster of white
houses sheltered by a bend in the coast-line, which
turned out to be Puerto Cabras. Quite a small place,
evidently. A nearer inspection showed us a clean-look-
ing little port, composed of flat-roofed houses, a row of
camels waiting on the beach lending a very picturesque
touch to the scene.

Our steamboat anchored a little way off the quay,
and we were soon disembarked, being rowed with the

14 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

baggage in a long, flat-looking boat to the landing steps,
while on the shore only the tini(;st ripj)les were doing
duty for waves.

There was quite a crowd on the (juay to welcome
the boat, which stayed here for several hours ; the
advent of the captain being the signal for the prepara-
tion of a weekly dinner at the fonda which might be
said to take the place of our " market ordinary " in an
English country town.

When we got on shore, we found that the Spanish
farmer to whom I had a letter of introduction had sent
down two camels for us, one to carry the luggage, and
one for Lorenzo and myself; this latter had a peculiar
arrano-ement on its back with a seat at either side. The
two animals were now lying down on the beach, a little
way from their companions.

I left Lorenzo to look after the luggage, while I went
into the fonda to get something to eat. We had about
sixteen miles to go. La Oliva being our destination, and
as the camels only travelled at the rate of about three
miles an hour it would be some time before we arrived
there. La Oliva is a village of some importance in the
northern part of Fuerteventura.

When I returned to the quay I found that Lorenzo
and the camel-driver had already begun to load up my
belongings ; I had six heavy packages altogether, for I
had to take many things with me. The baggage-camel
appeared to be lost in thought as they were loading it,
eazino- the while out to sea in an interested manner,
and now and then turning its head to look at the men
with a preoccupied air, as though they were loading
some other beast and not himself But when they

FUERTE VENTURA

15

began to stow away the last piece of luggaoe and to
tighten up the ropes his pride seemed to give way, and
he began protesting in a series of bubbHng grunts and
complaining noises which increased in volume until he
finally staggered up on to his feet, when he became quiet
at once.

I sent Lorenzo to buy some provisions for himself
and then we were soon ready to start. A minute or
two sufficed to take us clear of the little town, and we
found ourselves out on the desert, skirting the sea shore
at first for a considerable time. The baoro-aa-e-camel

00 o

was sent on in front, picking its way along the narrow
path, worn fiat and smooth by many camels' feet, but
being otherwise undistinguishable from the rest of the
o-round. The driver walked behind and ureed the
beasts on with many and varied cries, the one most
often repeated being arrd caniello, ari'^ canieT, with
occasionally a tap from his stick, the animals responding
with a shambling run for a few paces, which ill accorded
with their lofty mien, and was exceedingly uncomfort-
able for me, inasmuch as whenever I had a reasonable
expectation of being jolted forward I was jogged back-
ward, and vice versa. I had a fine view of the country
round though, being perched up so high, but unfor-
tunately there was little to be seen. The sea on our
right, and a desert of stone-covered ground on our left,
might truthfully be said to describe what view there
was ; this barren ground led up to a range of mountains
some little way inland, which appears to extend all round
Fuerteventura in an almost continuous chain, enclosing
a long stretch of undulating country in the centre of the
island. It seemed impossible that any life should be

1 6 SOME lilRDS Ol- THE CANARY ISLANDS

sustained on such ground, as in the country which we
passed through immediately after leaving Puerto Cabras
there was no sign of vegetation of any kind to be seen.

I diink the first birds that we saw, if I except a
Vulture, which was circling over the distant mountains,
were five or six of the Black-banded Sand-Grouse,
rising in front of us with a quick, pigeon-like flight,
very unlike that of any of our game birds. These birds
made a very peculiar sound on rising, quite impossible
to describe on paper. We met with these Sand-Grouse
rather sparingly during the whole of our visit, and they
did not appear to have started nesting by the end of
March ; the peasants call them Gaiiga, which means a
piece of good luck. Now and again a Kestrel would
hang over our path, floating away on the wind at our
approach, and commencing afresh its search for food.
These birds were not nearly so common here as they
were in Tenerife, where one or more of them was
generally to be seen in the air ; what they could possibly
have found to feed on in Fuerteventura it would be hard
to say.

Lorenzo called my attention as we were gradually
branching off from the coast, pointing with his stick out
to sea, and there was the steamer in the distance,
making her way to Lanzarote, another island which lies
just to the north of Fuerteventura. Lanzarote is much
more thickly populated than the island that we are in,
and boasts of quite a good sized port, Arrecife by name,
but it is not nearly such a clean place as Puerto Cabras,
nor is the island so desirable from a natural history
point of view, being more cultivated than F^uerteventura.
After leaving the neiohbourhood of the sea shore

FUERTEVENTURA 1 7

we began to ascend a low pass in the hills, in negotiating
which the camels, whose anatomy is quite unadapted to
climbing, seemed not at all at their ease ; the baggage-
camel especially staggering up the incline, his thin legs
vibrating at each step. Once over the pass, we had
another long spell of flat or slightly undulating country,
presently passing a small village, near to which was a
pool of mud-coloured water by which the camel-driver
lay down and drank greedily, afterwards inducing
Lorenzo to do the same. The pool had no doubt been
tilled by some recent rain, so rare in this island, and
only occurring about February in each year.

I found out afterwards that the water in Fuerteven-
tura which looked the most uninviting, was generally
the wholesomest, the clear springs, of which I only
remember to have seen two, being almost always salt.
On many of the rocks also there was a white deposit
of salt.

The only birds to be seen near this village were a
pair of Hoopoes ; Tabobo the peasants call this bird in
the Canary Islands. I believe tabobo means "stupid,"
and people would say to me in Tenerife, " Of course
you've got a photograph of a Hoopoe? No? Why,
they're so tame, I saw one to-day on my way to church."
That only goes to prove that the Hoopoe, to borrow
Lorenzo's phraseology, "knows much." To my mind
they are anything but stupid ; showing themselves w^hen
they choose, they take very good care not to be about
when you want them, and as for their conspicuous
plumage, it is only noticeable when they allow them-
selves to be seen. Sometimes on passing along the
high road in Tenerife one of these birds may be noticed

1 8 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

flying" u]) from a stone by the roadside, on which it has
been lying down, its usually prominent crest laid back
flat on its head, the bird itself remaining quite motion-
less. They are fond also of lying in this way on the
rough lava rocks, and it is but rarely that one sees them
until they fly up. The bird is conspicuous enough now,
as he flies away and perches on the top of a wall, his
crest now up, now down, or as he flutters in the air to
secure a passing butterfly, and settles again with his
victim held in his long, curved beak ; but that is because
he chooses to let himself be seen.

I walked up the pass, and also the rest of the way
into La Oliva, the path being very good and the weather
delightfully cool. Our road now led along the slope of
a low mountain, and looking forward into the valley we
could see the first tinge of green that had met our gaze
since we landed, if we except the miniature and dried up
specimens of vegetation which here and there barely
raised their heads above the stones with which the
ground was everywhere covered. The green tinge
turned out to be young wheat, which is grown over a
considerable area near La Oliva, and in other parts of
the island where possible. When ripe the individual
stalks are gathered by hand and placed in small heaps,
as a cherished article, with stones on the top. La Oliva
beino- one of the chief wheat growino- centres, we were
evidently getting within measurable distance of it, but
we had still some way to go, the country as we pushed
on becoming gradually more cultivated.

Tow^ards sunset we came in sight of a white church,
with some houses clustered round it, which our guide
told us was La Oliva. Another half-hour and the

PLATE I.

LA OLIVA.

FUERTEVENTURA 1 9

camels were halted before a row of flat-roofed houses,
the bag-o-acre-camel beino- made to kneel down on the
narrow stone-paved street, always an uncomfortable
proceeding to the onlooker, though the chief actor in
the scene immediately commenced chewing in a non-
chalant and contented manner.

After knocking at the door, Lorenzo announced our
arrival, and we were welcomed and shown through into
a large, clean-looking room, some coloured pictures
hanging on the walls and a great number of chairs
ranged round the room — the chair that one sees in the
cottages of Tenerife and Fuerteventura, always the
same pattern, plain Chippendale, and wooden seated.
These chairs are made in Tenerife, and doubtless in
Grand Canary too.

My reception here was really rather amusing. The
household consisted of an oldish man, between sixty and
seventy, his son, perhaps forty-live, and a very old and
decrepit woman servant, who never seemed satisfied
unless I was eatingf. If she came into the room and
found me not eating, she would point to her mouth and
nod a great many times. I found the only way to get
rid of her presence was to keep a small store of biscuits
in my pocket and when she appeared to stop her mouth,
as it were, by filling mine, when she would go away,
muttering to herself and apparently highly pleased.
The old man did not say much, but his special duty
appeared to be to see that I was seated, and also that
1 kept my hat on in the room. The moment I stood
up he would approach me, and placing his hands on
my shoulders, push me gently down again, saying at
the same time, '' Sientase sieiitase" I had to keep

20 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

my hat on the whole evening, while they took theirs
off, and if I removed mine for a minute one of them
would come up and insist on my replacing- it.

The son was a man with a black beard, very like
his father, and he evidently had a rooted idea which
nothing could drive out of his head, that if he only
shouted loud enough at me in Spanish, I niust eventually
understand. I have said before that I could understand
Lorenzo to a certain extent, but most of the people
talked so fast, and clipped the words so in their patois
that I was at that time at a loss to make out their
meaning.

Soon I noticed one or two strange faces at the
doorway ; these belonged to men who were no doubt
friends of the family, and they were brought in forth-
with and introduced one by one. After each introduc-
tion I heard the black-bearded son say, in a very
audible and hoarse whisper, behind his hand, ''Amiga de
la Marquesa." Now I had not the honour of knowing
the Marquesa at all, but, like many other people, I am
not blind to the advantages of having my name coupled
with those of the aristocracy. My letters of introduc-
tion were given me by a friend of the Alarquesa's, and
as these good people had honoured me so far as to
assume that I was an acquaintance of hers, I did not
think it at all necessary to undeceive them, especially as
it evidently invested me with an importance that my
own personality would not have secured. I also saw
that it might smooth my way during our stay in the
island.

Presently one of them took up a framed photograph
from a table in my room and handed it to me. I saw

FUERTEVENTURA 2 1

at once that this was a crucial point, the more so as they
were all regarding me with great expectancy. I was
apparently to stand or fall in their estimation according
as I recognised the likeness or not.

"■La Ma7'q2iesa,'' I said.

They were delighted, and all got up and walked
about the room, seemingly highly pleased with me, while
every now and then I could hear above the clack of con-
versation, the words Aviigo de la Marqitesa. Presently
the black-bearded son approached me stealthily and sat
himself down about three chairs off. He then leaned
towards me, put his hand slowly up to his mouth, and
shouted out a sentence in a stentorian voice. I nodded,
and said Si a great number of times, but I am afraid
he was not satisfied, for he came a chair nearer and
repeated his remark, finally shouting it down my ear
from the chair next to me. This was disconcerting,
and I wished Lorenzo had been present at the moment
to be the recipient of his confidences. However, they
left me in good time, with murmured blessings, and
hoping that I should sleep well.

22

CHAPTER II.
La Oliva.

T A OLIVIA probably stands at an elevation of not
less than seven or eight hundred feet above the
sea, and for this reason it is cooler than many other
villages in Fuerteventura. We were not prepared,
however, to find it really cold at breakfast time on the
morning after our arrival ; there was a keen wind
blowing, and instead of the fierce sun that I had been
led to prepare for, the day was dull and cloudy.

After breakfast I put my things together, anci taking
some lunch with us we started out, past the few houses
which constituted the street in which our host's dwell-
ing was situated. We took with us two Spanish boys
to show us the country and assist us in looking for the
nests that I was anxious to hnd ; fortunately I knew the
local names of all the birds, otherwise we should have
been very much at sea.

All the towns and villages in Fuerteventura are
surrounded by an open, desert-like plain, so that a
very short space of time suffices to take one clear of
the houses and out into the country. It was not until
we were on the exposed ground that we realised the
full force of the wind ; we could hardly walk against
it, and to make matters worse a heavy storm of rain
came on before we had gone more than a mile from

LA OLIVA 23

the town. It was no weather for seeing birds about in,
much less for photographing them, so we took refuge
in one of the ravines, or barrancos, as they are called,
which we were fortunate enough to find close at hand.

The rain continued to come down fast, being driven
past us by the wind, now giving us a misty view of the
mountains opposite, now obscuring them altogether. I
suppose on almost any other day in the year the sun
would have been pouring down with such intense heat
that we should have been glad enough of the shelter of
this cave as a protection against its rays ; as it was, it
felt decidedly cold and might well have been, save for
the bare, stone-covered ground, a day in Scotland. It
seemed ungrateful though, to complain, for the very
rain that was keeping us idle for a few hours was the
veriest godsend to the people who were entertaining us,
and to the islanders generally, whose half-starved flocks
had too often to be shipped in the steamboat to Grand
Canary or Tenerife, to be sold for what they would
fetch ; sometimes in the case of goats for as little as
one or two pesetas apiece, the peseta representing in
our money about /d. or 8d. Also in very dry times,
when there has been no rain for more than a year, water
brought over from Las Palmas sells at one peseta a
quart, a prohibitive price, considering that most of the
people are extremely poor.

While we were waiting in the cave before alluded
to, I noticed our two small guides munching their gofio
and pulling at some dried fish they had brought with
them. Gofio, I might here explain, is the staple food of
the islanders, the poorer kind is made from maize, the
better kind from wheat, wheat gofio being rather a

24 SOME I'.IRDS OK THE CANARY ISLANDS

luxury and eaten by the well-to-do farmers. I tasted
some of this once at a farmhouse, mixed with a little
sugar it is not at all bad ; the people at the farm also
showed me how they ground the wheat by hand,
between two large mill-stones. The children in Fuer-
teventura have beautifully white teeth, as a result of
eating gojio.

The weather having in some degree improved we
now moved out of our shelter and walked along" the side
of one of the mountains, and although we made a large
circuit round, I do not think we saw a bird of any de-
scription. The prospect also looked bad again, so we
turned our steps towards home. In the vicinity of La
Oliva I saw, perched on the top of a cactus, a Shrike,
which turned out to be a specimen of the Algerian Grey
Shrike, a bird which we found very common near the
villages in Fuerteventura, where they were often to be
seen in the small enclosures round the houses. I had
not previously noticed this bird in Tenerife, as it is very
locally distributed in that island. The peasants call this
Shrike Alcairoii, the meaning of which word I was not
able to find out, but it is of Moorish origin.

The photographs reproduced I obtained a few days
after our arrival, the nests being generally placed in
almond trees, which grow sparingly about the houses
in most of the villages in Fuerteventura, constituting a
thick isolated bush, and during the time that I was in
the island, generally speaking, you had only to find
your almond tree to find your Shrike's nest.

The nests were in all cases made of thorny twigs
forming a good sized structure, with the cavity very
deep, open at the top and lined thickly with wool and

PLATE II.

ALGERIAN GREY SHRIKE ON NEST.

{Lanhis algeriensis.)
8" -A'"

LA OLIVA 25

goats' hair and some pieces of woollen stuff matching the
eggs in colour. Where the birds had not been able to
suit themselves with such accessories to the linino- there
was always coloured hair or wool to match the eggs.

I remember reading an article in "Nature" some
years ago on the subject of the same peculiarity of
colour-matchino- in the nests and eoros of the Red-backed
Shrike in England. Certainly in the case of the
Algerian Grey Shrike the markings of salmon-clay
colour on the eggs were reproduced in every shade in
the linino- of the nest. Four eoo-s seemed to be the
usual number.

The birds were very tame at the nest, and would fly
away a little distance and then appear at the top of a
slender tree, which bent down with their weight as they
balanced themselves ; they never left off that sideways
swirl of the tail peculiar to all the Shrikes, as they
swung to and fro on the tree, and would put their heads
on one side and watch my preparations with the camera.

The Alcairon has a curious way of appearing and
re-appearing on the top of some conspicuous plant or
low tree, and you may not be aware of its presence at
all until you hear a loud chack and look up to find the
bird regarding you critically ; then it generally takes
flight to a short distance to work its way unperceived
to some other "look-out station," in order that another
surprise may be prepared for you.

The following day was equally windy though less
wet, so we went out again taking a different direction
to that in which we had gone before. We soon saw a
Courser running among the stones away from the path
which we were following, after which it took wing for

26 SOiME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

a short distance, the nearly black colour of the primary
feathers showing very distinctly as it was in the air.
In flight it much resembled our Peewit, and after it had
alicfhted on the ground it ran alongf with its win^s half
spread out. Although I saw many Coursers later on,
1 think this was the only bird that I noticed on the
wing ; during the nesting season, at any rate, they
seemed to prefer to keep to the ground, where they were
very inconspicuous. During our wanderings that day
we met a small boy whom we questioned with a view
of finding out whether he could show us nests of either
these birds or the Houbara Bustard, which is also to
be frequently met with in Fuerteventura ; he told us,
through the medium of Lorenzo, who generally consti-
tuted himself spokesman, that only a few days previously
he had seen two Engafias eggs, but that he had put
his foot on them and broken them. Lorenzo was very
much enraged at this and took the unfortunate boy
by the shoulders, shaking him and calling him Malo
muchacho, interspersed with sundry mutterings which
were unintelligible to me. The breaking of every egg
they find is a habit of the boys both in Tenerife and
Fuerteventura ; they couldn't tell you why, but they
always do it. You may offer them a reward consequent
on the eggs being intact on the following day, but it is
rarely you find them so.

About the middle of the day one of the boys shouted
to us, telling us that he had found a Houbara Bustard's
nest on the summit of a low hill. There was only one
egg, which was of an olive-green colour, marked with
rather faint blotches of greenish -brown ; this had been
laid on the bare ground, the earth having been hollowed

o

LA OLIVA 27

out very slightly to receive it. The accompanying
photograph gives a good idea of the situation in which
the egg was placed. Round about were a good many
white stones, and orowincr amon^ these stones was
a plant which we found rather common near here,
though we never saw it elsewhere in Fuerteventura.
Lorenzo pronounced this plant to be tacai'onteia, and
as no one was in a position to be able to contradict
him, I think he felt that for the time being he had
distinguished himself. This plant grows also in Tene-
rife, and has a large bulb with leaves something like
those of the lily-of-the-valley sprouting out from it.

We saw something of the birds belonging to this nest,
as they flew round while I was photographing the egg,
and settled some distance away ; they have a powerful,
rather heavy-looking flight, and keep the neck stretched
straight out when on the wing. Their local name,
Avutarda, means a heavy, slow sort of bird.

It was evident that the Houbaras and the Coursers,
the two kinds of bird that I was most anxious to meet
with, were only just commencing to nest, which was
rather unfortunate, as it is difficult to do anything
photographically with the birds themselves unless they
are sitting. The only bird we found in that condition
was at the end of our visit, not far from Tuineje, a
village situated towards the south of the island. Un-
fortunately, when I went with my camera to try and
obtain photographs of the Hoiibara, we found that
some ravens had been before us, and broken holes into
the sides of the eufss. Lorenzo couldn't take the ravens
by the scruff of the neck and shake them as he treated
the boys in Tenerife, but he growled at the invisible

28 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

C2iervo and samned the horizon with his hand, shad-
ing his eyes, in a threatening and somewhat theatrical
attitude.

Lorenzo's method of looking for nests was peculiar ;
he could not be made to understand that any bird
would be so foolish as to lay its eggs on the bare
ground, unprotected in any way by grass or shrub,
consequently his time was taken up in peering into
the small bushes, six inches or so in height, which were
sprinkled here and there over the desert. Later on,
when we found some Courser's ecrsfs, it was with oreat
difficulty that he could be induced to see them as they
lay on the ground, although he was standing over them,
and when at lenoth he succeeded in makino- them out,
his surprise and admiration were so great that he had
to be led away to a safe distance in order that he
should not inadvertently trample upon them. He was
extremely useful in every other way, and had a happy
knack of making us feel at home wherever we went in
the island.

We found no more Houbara's esfo^s and no Courser's
eggs at all in the neighbourhood of La Oliva, although
we made long excursions each day we were there, going
on one occasion almost as far as the sea shore ; the
weather gradually improved, but it still kept fresh and
very windy. The only other nests which we did find
were those of the Stone-Curlew. This bird, so fre-
quently met with in Fuerteventura, is interesting as
being a regular summer visitor to England, and is one
of those birds which still breed with us sparingly in
two or three of our counties. These birds were, like
the Coursers and Houbaras, only just beginning to nest

LA OLIVA 29

when we were in Fuerteventura, and as they were so
common here I did not trouble about them, thinking I
should find them on my return to Tenerife, where,
unfortunately, I got but little chance at them.
The Stone-Curlews are adepts at concealing them-
selves, and will often start up into view on the rough
ground a few yards ahead, run for a short distance in
a very leisurely way, and then stand still, or fly away.
The peasants in Fuerteventura call this bird Alcaravan,
but in Tenerife it also goes by the name of Pedro
Luis, both names being given to it by reason of
its peculiar cry. This cry is heard almost exclusively
at night time, more especially on moonlight nights, and
the wild notes of the Alcaravan might often be heard
around the villaofes in Fuerteventura when all else was
silent.

The island contains few birds except those which
are not able to avail themselves of its sand-coloured
ground as a means of escaping detection ; there are no
trees, speaking generally, if we except the palms which
in some of the villages surround the water tanks, so
that birds which are not of a protective colour are
driven to make their homes in the vicinity of the
villages, where they find the only available cover in
the scattered almond trees, or among the cactus plants.
Even the Hoopoes, conspicuous enough at times, as we
have shown, combine in the varied colouring of their
plumage many of the tints of the desert rocks, tinged
as some of these rocks are with orano-e or red-coloured
lichen.

One little bird that could certainly claim protection
from the open desert was the Trumpeter Bullfinch, of

30 SOME BIRDS OF TIIK CANARY ISLANDS

which we saw a certain nuinher during our stay in
the island. I think they were more numerous in the
neiorhbourhood of the sea shore than they were inland,
consequently we did not meet with them very fre-
quently. I saw these birds also on a sandy piece of
ground near the Golf links above Las Palmas in Grand
Canary ; there was a small flock of them feeding, and
I might very likely have passed them over had not
their peculiar cry attracted my attention. This cry has
a far-away sound, and on first hearing it I took it
to be the bark of a dog only just audible in the dis-
tance. After this had been repeated I then found that
it came from the ground only a few yards in frcjnt of
me, and on looking down I saw six or seven of these
small birds. They were exactly the colour of the sandy
ground on which they were feeding, and now and then
one of them would hop up on to a stone ; as I
approached them they flew away to a short distance.
Unlike most birds of protective colouration, the Trum-
peter Bullfinches do not avail themselves of their simi-
larity to their surroundings in choosing a nesting-site,
for the only nest of this species that I found was placed
in the roof of a tumble-down shed, and was well con-
cealed. The eoos, four in number, were verv similar
to those of our Bullfinch in England, but were rather
smaller.

Before I came to Fuerteventura I was regaled with
stories of missionaries and others who had barely escaped
with their lives, on account of being attacked by the
wild camels which lived on the island, one lady assuring
me that a missionary whom she knew had been chased
"nearly the whole length of the island," a distance, by

LA OLIVA 31

the way, of some sixty miles, more or less. The fact is
that the camels are turned out on the hill sides to feed
when they are not required for work, and a familiar
scene in Fuerteventura is one in which these animals
are dotted here and there on the barren slopes, feeding
on what isolated specimens of vegetation they can find.
There is no fear of their over-eating themselves.

Camels and donkeys are the only beasts of burden
in Fuerteventura ; the former carry cargo almost exclu-
sively, while the latter are ridden by the inhabitants
when they find it necessary to ride, as for instance in
making a journey to some distant part of the island.
The camels are also used for the purpose of ploughing,
wherever it is possible to till the ground at all, the
plough used being a very simple affair, and made of
wood. The day before we left La Oliva, as we were
returning home from a long excursion, we came upon
some of the peasants engaged in ploughing, and had
some conversation with them, or rather Lorenzo had,
but they did not know of anything that would be likely
to interest us. I took some photographs of them, one
of which is reproduced here, and another forms the
frontispiece to this book. They were much interested
in the camera, and I should think it probable that very
few of them had ever seen such a thing before.

The country where these peasants were ploughing
was on the slope of a broad shallow valley, its sides
gradually sweeping up to the bare mountains on either
hand, and on these slopes it seemed most curious to see
camels leisurely feeding their way, and cropping at the
almost microscopic vegetation that grew here and there
among the stones. As we walked up the centre of the

32 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

valley these camels would raise their heads and stand
lookino- at us, not resuminor their orrazino- until we had
left them some distance behind. On our way back to
La Oliva in the evenino- we passed at intervals a flock
of goats and one or two camels being driven desultorily
home by some small boy ; the camels seemed obedient
enough and were quite at large, though had they taken
it into their heads to rebel against their diminutive guide
I am afraid there would not have been much of him left
to tell the tale. I think nothing lowers one's self-esteem
more than being met by a camel ; it is not merely the
fact of being cut, though that is bad enough, but some-
how they give you the idea that you are not there at all,
gazing the while at the distant mountain tops, as they
swing quietly along, with an intensely interested and
preoccupied air. One feels as though one had been
passed through, not merely passed by.

On nearing La Oliva for the last time we stopped to
rest and have a smoke by the way, and talk over our
chances of success in the southern part of the island,
until we were reminded that the day was drawing to a
close by our friends of the wayside now passing us,
the camels stalking along with an expression of smug
complacency, while the goats, with frequent bleats and
tinklings of many bells, scrambled hither and thither on
either side of the path, nibbling at what scant herbage
they could find.

PLATE IV.

^•^'•^--^^r-

A MID-DAY REST.

33

CHAPTER III.
New Quarters.

nr^HE four days which we had spent at La OHva were
certainly not productive of much, looked at from
an ornithological standpoint ; the birds in the neighbour-
hood were few, and those that we did come across were
evidently only commencing to nest. In all probability
the weather, and more especially the food supply, had
much to do with this.

I had a further introduction, to a farmer who lived at
Tuineje, a village situated some little way south of the
centre of the island ; this village is marked on the small
map contained in the initial chapter. We were told
that it would take us a long day's journey to reach
Tuineje before nightfall, if indeed we were able to do
so by then, accordingly an early start was arranged for.

Hospitable and kind though the people were at
La Oliva, I should have fared badly without the pro-
visions which I had brouofht with me from Tenerife,
especially as the old woman to whom I have before
referred was stationed over me while I ate my meals,
various delicacies being pointed out by her in the
homely dish which might with advantage be consumed
in the next mouthful. Tea was apparently an unknown
luxury in the island, but a very dilapidated and rusty
old teapot was after some difficulty borrowed in the

3

34 SOME BIRDS OF THK CANARY ISLANDS

village, and in this she was able to brew a concoction
of some sort from the supply of tea I had brought with
me. I think she considered this to be of untold value,
she poured it out so carefully, and was much distressed
if even a drop were spilt.

The same man who had piloted us from Puerto
Cabras to La Oliva made his appearance in good time
with the camel, which animal we found kneeling down
ready to be loaded in front of the door of my room.
After getting- my belongings stowed away on to a kind
of wooden saddle with projecting pieces at either side,
the man made the camel stand up, and treated it much
as though he were measuring it for a suit of clothes,
giving a hitch here and a twist of the rope there, and
being very careful to make an exact balance of the
luggage ; when at length he had adjusted this to his
satisfaction he climbed up the animal's tail, so that he
might make a last tightening of the ropes. Lorenzo
was immensely pleased at this procedure, to which he
drew my special attention.

We were sorry to leave the people who had enter-
tained us so kindly during our short stay ; they made
Lorenzo a present of a stout wooden stick, which con-
tained a whistle in the handle, with which he was much
pleased, christening it by blowing several shrill notes on
it, and saying in an explanatory way to me, Para cl Pico,
SeTior ; he then whistled again and put his hand to his
ear as though listening, meanino- that it would no doubt
come in useful to him in his excursions up the Peak of
Tenerife. Following this little performance, as usual,
came the customary raising of his old hat, ever so
slightly, with a step backward. ^V, Sciior. The only

NEW QUARTERS 35

time I ever saw him use this whistle was in Las
Palmas, when we were driving from the harbour to the
town, and he certainly made good use of it then,
blowing a shrill blast at every vehicle that we passed,
until he made us the laughing-stock of the road for the
time being.

Our farewells over we made a start, the black-
bearded son accompanying us for a short distance on
our way. " He still shouted in my ear as he had done on
the first night of our arrival, but the process was more
bearable out of doors. We dropped him at the first
village we came to, some four or five miles from La
Oliva, and then pursued our journey with only the
camel driver for our guide.

The country to the south of La Oliva was bare in
the extreme, more so I think than any that we had
passed through ; we saw a few Coursers, which would
now and again run from our path, though they were
not always easy to discern ; one or two fiocks of Sand
Grouse, too, we also saw. I think the ground was too
bare for the Houbaras, as no verdure was visible to
relieve the arid prospect, not even the ajulaga shrub,
which may generally be found growing where there is
any vegetation at all, and with its feathery orey-green
foliage forms a rather pleasing contrast in colour to the
surrounding desert. On many of the stones which
covered the ground there was a deposit of red lichen,
this colour being especially noticeable towards the
tops of the mountains as seen from a distance.

Six or seven hours travelling brought us to La
Antigua, which is perhaps the largest village in Fuerte-
ventura, and is more up-to-date than many, inasmuch

36 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARV ISLANDS

as it possesses a mill to pump up water, the only one we
had seen in the island so far. Some of the inhabitants
were engaged in carrying- water from the small reservoir,
the contents of which had a much more refreshing look
than that of most tanks in Fuerteventura, where it
appears green and uninviting in the extreme. This
reservoir was surrounded by tall palm trees. The
pumping in many of the smaller villages is done by
camels, which are blindfolded, and walk round and round
on a small parapet raised about six feet from the level of
the ground.

We had now completed about half our journey, and
it was necessary to give the camel a rest, for which
purpose it was unloaded, and allowed to kneel down on
the narrow street. We, too, required some refreshment,
though it was difficult to know what to oet ; wine there
is none to be had, if I except a thin, white, and exceed-
ingly vinegary fluid that even Lorenzo's paved palate
rejected as soon as touched. Malo vino, he would say,
making a wry face and shaking his head.

One noticeable fact, or rather omission, in connection
with these villages, is the scarcity of shops of any kind.
In England we are so accustomed to have goods brought
to notice as it were under our very eyes, that a shop-
keeper who apparently takes a vast amount of trouble
and pains to hide his wares in the remote recesses of his
shop, and then to shut the door and wooden windows of
that shop, would seem, to our enlightened minds, to
court failure of trade. On the other hand, perhaps, in
villaofes of this kind where few strangers ever come, the
shops are so well known that it is unnecessary for the
tenderos, as the shop-keepers are called, to advertise the

PLATE V.

REPLENISHING THE WATER-TANK.

NEW QUARTERS 37

whereabouts of their goods by any outward show.
Certain it is that in a good-sized village, as La Antigua
evidently was, we had the greatest difficulty in finding
even a provision shop ; then, after opening the door and
stepping in from the bright sunlight outside, a temporary
darkness obscured such eatables as were ranged on
shelves behind the counter.

We purchased some bread — fortunately I had other
provisions with me — and then enquired if they could
make us some coffee. No, they could not, but there was
a house, so and so, in which we might be able to obtain
some. We had still more difficulty in finding this place,
and as nearly every house in Fuerteventura keeps its
own special breed of mongrel dog, warranted to attack
anybody whom it has not seen before, and a good many
people whom it has, there was a certain excitement in
approaching the doors of the various houses at which
we tried. I began to think that I didn't care for coffee,
and that life would be more pleasant without it, for at
every house that I ventured near, Lorenzo shouted out,
Ctudado, Seiior, el perro, rolling the two rs in a most
vigorous way, till I began to question my right to
monopolise all this pleasure, and accordingly Lorenzo
took up the quest, armed afresh at each dwelling with
a large stone.

We found the house after much searching, and when
we had been kept waiting for some little time they
served us with coffee, which was quite drinkable, though
not so good as is generally to be obtained in Tenerife.
The people would not accept any payment for the coffee,
so, leaving nothing but our grateful thanks behind, we
prepared to continue our journey

33 somp: kirds of thk canary islands

On we went at the same level pace, the country
becoming- somewhat less arid and a tinge of wild vege-
tation appearing now and again in the landscape. Once
we passed a house which was painted a brilliant blue
colour ; it was pointed out to me as quite the most
beautiful object in Fuerteventura. I cannot say that I
admired it, though the colour of most of the houses in
the villages so far had certainly been monotonous, all
of theni being built of clay-coloured stone, more like
boxes than houses, having exceedingly thick walls,
unplastered outside. The immense thickness of the
walls of the houses showed how well the Fuerteventuran
Spaniards understood their own climate, for however
hot the sun might be outside, their rooms were in-
variably beautifully cool. None of the houses, with
very few exceptions, consisted of more than the ground
floor.

Some way further on Lorenzo, after a conversation
with the camel driver, pointed out to me a house stand-
ing by itself a little distance away from the road, and
called out in his cheery voice, Casa del medico, Seuor,
mucho dinero in banco, iiniy rico. I asked them if he
was the only doctor in the island, and they said they
thought he was, though I should think there must be
one in Puerto Cabras. The man certainly deserved to
be rich if he had to doctor the whole of the populace.
Towards evening we approach a range of mountains,
and are told that our destination lies some little way
beyond them, but the path makes a bend to the left
hand so as to avoid the long climb up for the camels.

Another two hours' travelling and we round these
mountains, and then see in front of us two good-sized

NEW QUARTERS 39

villao^es, the further of which, we are informed, is
Tuineje. Soon we pass through the village, accom-
panied by barking dogs and wondering children, and
then halt before a long, low house of the usual type,
which is the residence of the farmer to whom I have a
letter of introduction.

I sent Lorenzo down the path leading to the front
of the house, soon hearing, as I had anticipated, a
sharp encounter with the watch-dog. That animal being
quieted by its owners, a pleasant-featured old lady came
out and bade me welcome, saying that her husband,
whom we will call Don Ramon, would not be at home
until late that night, having gone on a journey to a
distant village, but that their best room was at my
service for as long as I would be their guest.

1 do not know whether they had been previously
advised of my visit, but whether they had or had not,
nothing could have exceeded the quiet welcome of this
farmer's wife. My luggage was unloaded, and for the
second time on this island I felt that I had fallen
among friends.

Don Ramon, an old man of about seventy, but
very spare and active, came home later and joined his
welcome to that of his wife ; and I may here say that
a kinder pair than these two old people, from start to
finish of my visit, I have yet to meet. No trouble was
too much for them to take, Don Ramon, while joining
in our ornithological expeditions, or his wife when wel-
coming me home in the hot afternoon, with a quiet
shake of the head and a smile, as she opened the door
of the cool room and remarked on the heat outside.
Thev had several children, but most of them were

40 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

married and settled in homes of their own. There
was a brother of Don Ramon's, who often came in,
though he did not Hve with them. He was a white-
bearded old fellow, and used to be very amusing ; he
would have it that I understood what they said when
they were talking among themselves, and would laugh
and say, Entiende, enticndt\ notwithstanding my pro-
tests to the contrary.

I must now pass on to our doings after our arrival
at Tuineje. The country around was much the same
as we had previously seen, except that here we met
with but little wheat in comparison with what there
was at La Oliva ; nor did they appear to have had the
rains of the preceding few clays. The only verdure to
be seen as a rule was the ajulaga shrub, which was
sprinkled here and there in districts, but never seemed
to erow to more than about a foot in heioht ; there
were many small snails on it, on which the Houbaras
are said to feed.

For three days we hunted without success, save
finding a Stone-Curlew's nest, a photograph of which I
reproduce here, so that on the third day, that being the
day before the weekly boat left for Grand Canar)-, I had
decided to go back to Tenerife. The peasants said that
the birds were not breeding this year, as it had been too
dry, or that they were not here, and so on, and it really
looked as though there were some truth in their
remarks, as we had seen few Coursers, and only one or
two Houbaras. So, as the boat left Puerto Cabras at
eight o'clock in the evening, and Don Ramon had sent
out a large number of people to search for nests on
the previous day without success, eight o'clock in the

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NEW QUARTERS 4 I

morning- found us ready to start home, with everything
packed.

Just as we were going- to load up a boy came to
say that he could show us an Enganas nest, about
three miles distant ; this was very annoying, as I had
quite made up my mind to leave, disgusted as I was
with our bad luck, but Don Ramon and his wife did
all they could to persuade me to stay, while at last old
Lorenzo, thoroughly homesick and tired of the place
as he must have been, struck a tragic attitude and said
''Que lastima, ^V;}t?r " (what a misfortune), to go back
havino- found nothings. Thus he turned the scale, so we
set to and unpacked, turning out the remnants of pro-
visions, some of which I had dispensed with a too
lavish hand the day before.

An hour and a half's journey brought us to the
place where the nest was situated ; our youthful guide,
dressed as were all the peasant boys, in white, trotting
along in front of us to show the way. He pulled up
near the centre of a flat piece of ground which skirted
one of the stony ravines, looked about for a few minutes
and then pointed to his feet, where we saw, matching
in colour and size the surrounding stones, a Courser's
^<g^. There was not the slightest attempt at any
hollowing of the ground, only a small bare space, quite
flat, and about six inches in diameter, cleared from
among the adjacent stones. Evidently the birds had
only just begun to nest now, and there would no
doubt be another eoo- laid to-morrow or the next dav,
so after photographing the ^<g<g in situ and rewarding
our guide, we marked the spot and went off in another
direction.

42 SOMK i:il<l)S (Jl THE CANARY ISLANDS

It seemed we were to have some luck at last, tor
while we were searching along the ground in line, I was
fortunate enough to find two Courser's eggs on the
shoulder of a low hill, placed similarly in all other
respects to the previous ni^g, except that the surround-
ing stones were slightly larger. Remaining where I
was I called to the others, who came up and were much
pleased at my discovery.

This nest I took photographs of, and then sent my
companions some distance away, where they waited
within hearing while I lay down under cover of a
tumble-down cairn of stones that stood on a slight
elevation about two hundred yards distant from the
ecrsfs. I had not seen the bird so far, and wanted to
make sure that the eggs were being sat on.

I had to wait quite half an hour before I saw the
Courser appear over the crest of the hill. She came
very slowly and cautiously, going in and out among the
stones, frequently stopping and standing still, then she
stood where I judged the eggs to be and sat down (jn
them, becoming, so far as the eye could tell, one among
a wilderness of stones. I waited a few minutes, then
whistled to Lorenzo and made him walk towards the
bird, I keeping my glasses on her all the time, as I did
not want her to see me rise from mv hiding place. I
was also anxious to see how soon she would get up
from the e^rtrs, to aid me in searchino' for other nests,

oo o

I was surprised to find that she did not rise till he was
within about seventy yards, although she could see
him coming all the while ; then she got up and began
walking away, zigzagging about among the stones and
stopping every few yards to look round, finally dis-
appearing behind the brow of the hill.

Lim the
mted to

PLATE VII.

■ c*^^^ -'^^0^'

CREAM-COLOURED COURSER^ AND NEST.

(Cursoriiis gallicus.)
9" 9'"

NEW QUARTERS 43

Although it was rather late in the day for such work.
I decided to try and take advantage of what seemed to
be a good chance of photographing the bird sitting, and
it was as well I did so, for it was the only opportunity
I had. Arranging the camera to photograph a bird is
always a long and tedious business, the least thing left
undone and one's chance is spoilt. In photographing
where there is cover it is generally not so difficult, the
camera may then be placed on its stand and the whole
concealed with branches ; on the open ground, however,
where there is absolutely no cover, the case is different.
Here the camera must be placed on the ground, or in
some instances almost below the ground, and after
focussing v'ery carefully the exact spot to which the bird
is expected to come, the lens must be "stopped down,"
to use a photographer's term, so as to make sure that
the whole of the bird is in focus, for it may sit broadside
to the camera, or it may choose to sit facing it. The
direction of the wind, however, will often be a guide in
this respect, as a bird generally sits facing the wind.
After focussing, the shutter has to be pulled down and
the dark-slide inserted, great care being taken not to
shift the camera at all, which would throw the object
out of focus. The camera should then be covered over
with a piece of cloth of some kind matching the ground
in colour, and stones, sand, or earth placed upon this, so
as to present an even appearance with the surroundings.
The shutter, always the most difficult part to disguise
successfully, should then be chalked over so as to match
the surrounding ground in colour, and a short piece of
cotton attached to the spring which works the release
of the shutter. Five or six skewers mav then be stuck

44 SOiME BIRDS OF THE CANAKY ISLANDS

into the jJTound, leading in the direction of the place
where the would-be photographer intends to conceal
himself. The next duty is to walk to this place of
concealment with a fishing reel containing anything" up
to two hundred yards of line, leave the reel at this spot,
undo the check, and the line will run out easily without
entangling. This line must be passed through the five
or six skewers, one of which should be close up to the
caniera, and then attached to the piece of cotton already
mentioned ; the object of the cotton being to avoid any
jar or movement of the camera when the line is pulled.
This piece of cotton is an important feature in taking
photographs of this kind, because it enables the operator
to pull as hard as he likes at the exact moment he
wishes to take the photograph ; the cotton being suffi-
ciently strong to release the spring of the shutter then
breaks off, thus avoiding any jar to the camera.

While I was photographing the eggs as they lay
on the ground, Don Ramon's brother, who sometimes
accompanied us on our expeditions, touched me on the
arm and pointed out the summit of a neighbouring hill
some half-mile away as a likely spot on which to place
the camera with a view of taking the bird, assuring me
that I should never be able to photograph it at a less
distance. He altered his opinion somewhat on seeing
the camera disguised on the ground, but still, as he
retired with his companions to their own hiding place
a little distance away, I could see him shaking his head
and looking very wise, evidently feeling that I was
putting a slight on the intelligence of the Engana.

I think the bird came rather more quickly this time,
pursuing the same tactics, and standing about, as before.

NEW QUARTERS 45

I was oflad to see that she took no notice whatever ot
the camera, but worked her way up to the eggs and
then sat down. It is always well to leave a bird alone
for some little time and not to take the photograph at
once, because it will almost invariably shift its position
once or twice before settlincr down.

I was just tightening up the string preparatory to
giving the final pull and securing perhaps one of the
most interesting of ornithological representations, when
three ravens, flying very low, came right over the bird,
one of them making a feint at the camera, its sharp
eyes evidently detecting something that the Courser
had failed to notice. This had the effect of making my
bird leave the eggs and stand still a few yards from
them, while the ravens continued their flight. They
seemingly did not notice the Courser's eggs, though
they must have seen that she was sitting. She soon
resumed her place, and then, seeing by the aid of
my glasses that she had apparently settled down and
was in a favourable position for being taken, I pulled
the string.

The bird sprang into the air with a loud sqiiazvk,
very different from the low note that it occasionally
utters when flying, then settled a few feet away and
began, metaphorically speaking, to "rub its eyes " and
wonder if it had been dreaming. Apparently it thought
it had, for, running a few steps it again went on to the
eggs. I had to disturb the bird in order to change the
dark slide, as I wished to take another photograph of it,
and the afternoon was beginning to close in, so I went
up to the camera and made the necessary alteration.

I obtained one more photograph, but this time the

46 SOME BIRDS ()!• THK CANARY ISLANDS

bird did not move at the sound of the shutter, I think
the wind prevented her hearino- the cHck. In this
instance she ran up to the camera and looked it over
before settling down on the eoos.

I trust I have not wearied the reader in the above
description with too many technical details ; I had not
intended to mention them at all, simply letting- the illus-
trations present themselves naturally, as in the course
of a ramble throuuh the country ; but so many people
have an idea that these photographs are merely " snap-
shots," and that one can go out at any moment and
"take " a bird, that it may surprise them to know how
much time and trouble is really necessary to obtain good
results.

While I was waiting to take the photograph described
in the foregoing, the sun came out w^ith quite desert-like
force at times ; generally speaking though, we found a
nice breeze on any elevateci ground, it was on reaching
the village that we learnt what the sun really could be
in Fuerteventura. The nights, however, were nearly
always cool, and the air was beautifully dry.

Lorenzo always took great care of my cameras, but
as we were going home on the evening of the day
on which I had photographed the Courser, he quite
exceeded himself in this respect, wrapping up my long-
focus camera in his blanket as thouoh it contained the
bird itself. He always insisted on carrying his blanket,
even on the hottest day ; none of the peasants in Fuer-
teventura carried theirs, but then Fuerteventura was
very much behind the times, and I am afraid Lorenzo
had not much opinion of the place, in which he was
right from his own jxjint of view. I asked him once

NEW QUARTERS 47

how he liked the island, to which he replied, '' Buena

gente, Sefior, buena genie, pero le pais " and he

shrugged his shoulders and spat on the ground.

Don Ramon and Lorenzo would often take a stroll
round the village of an evening, and sometimes I went
with them, during which times I think I learned more
Spanish than in any other way. While on these walks
Lorenzo would pat the children on the head in a fatherly
way, using some term of endearment to them, such as
chiquillo ; the termination i/lo is often tacked on to the
end of a child's name, and implies smallness, as Antonillo,
the little Antonio. It seems to render the name of a
small child less ponderous ; many of the commoner
names are exceedingly pretty, such as Celestina, Cipriano.
We found the children in Fuerteventura always cour-
teous and well-behaved, in striking contrast to those
about the larger towns in Grand Canary and Tenerife,
where, unfortunately, they have learned the commercial
value of being impertinent.

Strolling along on one of these evenings past a row
of houses, I heard Lorenzo give a low growl, somewhat
similar to that given by a large dog when it passes any
one to whom it owes a o-rudcje ; I asked him what was
the matter, when it transpired that he had taken a pair
of shoes which I had given him a few days previously
to a shoemaker to be re-soled. This man had reduced
them so much in size by the process that it was an
impossibility for Lorenzo to wear them without extreme
pain. Accordingly he shook his fist at the dwelling of
the shoemaker, telling me that he was a bad man.
When we returned to Orotava he took the shoes to his
own shoemaker to be re-topped, but he still referred to
them as zapatos del C aba Hero.

48 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

One evenino" we spent at the priest's house, which
was quite an imposing building" for P\icrteventura, and
possessed c\ patio. Lorenzo enjoyed himself vastly that
same evening, and I think monopolised a large share of
the conversation. I heard him speaking of the life in
great cities, though he had never been outside the
Canary Islands. Then he could speak a little English
it seemed, and the Englishman before he went to bed
always said " Gool nai," and again, if he were to find
himself in London, he would be able to speak English
quite well in three weeks, I think the glass of beer
which the priest produced for our delectation picked him
up a little, for he had had some long days carrying the
cameras about, and I noticed, as we found ourselves at
home again, that he patted the brindled watch-dog, a
thino- I had never seen him do before.

49

CHAPTER IV.
Our Last Week in Fuerteventura.

A^T'ITH the assistance of some of the peasants we
were now beo"inning to find more nests, or
perhaps it was that the birds had only just commenced
to lay. One morning- a man came into the village from
a distance, and said that he could take us to the nest
of a Guirre, this being the local name for the Egyptian
Vulture. We were told that the nest was placed in a
position in which it might be possible to photograph it,
and as this bird usually selects the most inaccessible
situation for its eyrie, it seemed worth while visiting
the place.

We started off in a southernly direction, and had
covered a considerable distance before we passed a
lonely Jinca or farmhouse, possessing, as must do every
house that stands by itself in Fuerteventura, a water
tank. At this house we stopped to ask if one Zacha-
riah was about on the premises, but we were told that
he was in the ravine which skirted the farm with his
goats, accordingly we went in search of him.

Our guide now shouted out "Zachariah," " Zacha-
riah," to which Lorenzo and Don Ramon joined their
voices, until the mountain-side which bordered the
ravine threw back a continuous echo, '* -reeyah, Zacha-
reeyah," but no Zachariah appeared ; so we sat down

4

50 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

and waited. "Could nothinir be done without Zacha-
riah ? " I asked Lorenzo, who was rolling a cigarette and
preparing to enjoy himself in the hot sun. He made
no reply, but hunched himself up and shot out his
under lip, which after all expressed more than he could
have put into a few words.

In the possessor of such a name I naturally expected
to see some hoary patriarch of the desert, weighed
down by years, and still more so by a lifelong sojourn
under a name so ponderous ; judge of my surprise,
therefore, when the mellow tinkle of a bell caused us
to look round, and there we saw a small boy, clad in
white, make his appearance leisurely over the side of
the stony harrauco, followed by his tlock of goats.
This was Zachariah, and as he greeted us our guide
spoke to him and took his place, while Zachariah ex-
pressed himself ready to show us the nest of the Giiirre.
We had still some distance to go when we came in
sight of a steep volcanic mountain standing out by
itself, a sight common enough in these islands. As we
drew near to this mountain we saw one of the birds
whose nest we had come to seek sailing majestically
round and round in widening circles ; doubtless he had
come out to reconnoitre, his keen eyes having sighted
us from afar. This bird presents a very different
appearance in the air to what it does at close quar-
ters, when it looks a ragged and ugly creature. In the
distance, as it gradually rose higher and higher, its
black and white plumage showed in relief against the
background of blue sky.

We had to go round to the far side of the mountain
in order to make the ascent, as it was impossible to

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OUR LAST WEEK IN FUERTEVENTURA 5 I

climb up the loose cinders except by a winding- foot-
path, which led us, after about half-an-hour's walking,
to the summit of one side of the crater ; this seemed
to dip down almost as deep as the base of the moun-
tain, the mountain itself being really nothing but the
sides of a oio-antic cone. Our small ^uide, Zachariah,
now pointed out a large face of rock, standing out a
little way below the summit of the crater ; in this rock
was a good-sized cave, within which we could just
make out one of the Vultures sitting. She remained
till we had walked half-way round towards the cave,
and then flew off and settled a little way above the
nest.

On reaching the rock we found that the cave was
easily accessible from below, and with a little care it
would be quite possible to photograph the nest, though
there was very little light inside. I first went along
to the cave, in which I found two eggs ; they turned
out to be quite fresh, and were of a dirty white
colour, marked very sparingly and indistinctly with dark
reddish brown. There was a sort of nest made of a
little wool ; the cave also contained one or two bleached
bones. I asked Lorenzo to hand me my camera, which
he was hugging in a very determined manner on the
narrow path which overlooked this rock, but to my
surprise, for the first time since we had been out
together, he definitely asserted his authority, saying
repeatedly. No qiiiero, Sefior, no quiero, and at the
same time waving his forefinger backwards and for-
wards in front of his face, a habit many of the
Spaniards have when they wish to imply a very deter-
mined negative. I think he considered himself responsi-

52 SOME 15IRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

ble for my safe return to Tenerife, and although there
was no possible danger, he was no doubt so well
a: .^uainted with these peculiar formations that he knew,
had I slipped, I should not have stopped until I had
reached the bottom of the deep cone-shaped hollow, to
climb up the shelving sides of which would have been
well-nigh impossible.

The photographs were not a great success, as I had
to place the camera almost within the cave itself in
order to obtain them. I took the eofcrs, as I thought
it was the only Vulture's nest I was ever likely to get
up to, and then we descended and had some lunch at
the foot of the mountain, both birds wheeling high in
the air and watching us off the premises before returning
to the nesting site.

On our way home we were shown a Houbara's nest,
the eggs, two in number, being of the same olive-green
colour as before ; one of them was of a very narrow,
oblong shape, and scarcely marked at all. There was
no nest, properly speaking, the eggs lying in a very
sliofht hollow, a small bush a foot or so in height
growing close to them and acting somewhat as a foil
to the eye, inasmuch as it was of about the same colour
as the eggs. There was also a sprinkling of vegeta-
tion round about. I never saw the bird at all, though
I waited for some time ; but another day, while I was
watching some Coursers, a Houbara ran by me within
about thirty yards ; it moved very quickly, keeping its
long neck perpendicular.

We found two more Coursers' nests during our stay
on the island, one pair of eggs having distinct zones
round the smaller ends, while in all the other eggs
that we saw the markings were evenly distributed.

OUR LAST WEEK Ix\ FUERTEVENTUKA 53

In no case was there any hollowing out of the
L^rountl to receive the eggs, merely a small space cleared
of the surrounding stones and flattened clown so as to
be quite level. There were a certain number of places
slightly hollowed out, which the peasants told us were
made ready for eggs, but I do not think this was really
the case.

One of the difficulties 1 had to contend with, as
mentioned in a previous chapter, was that the boys,
although invariably polite, would insist on breaking
every egg they came across.

I am inclined to think I should have had more
success if I had been allowed to look for nests in my
own way. We had too many people out with us as
a rule, but as some of them insisted on accompanying
us out of politeness it was difficult to explain this to
them. I think the reason why the Coursers' eggs are
so exceedingly difficult to find is that the ground on
which the birds nest is open and comparatively flat.
The eggs of Ringed Plover, Lesser Terns, and others
are often hard to discover, but then there is generally
some limit to the ground to be searched over— a strip
of beach, with perhaps some rising shore from which
you can watch the birds. Here there may be one
Courser's nest in half a square mile of country, and if
you see the bird in front of you it is impossible to
tell whether it has run twenty yards or two hundred,
or whether it is simply standing by the eggs. The
Houbara's eggs are very much easier to find ; pro-
bably the ravens, of which there are a fair number,
take toll of them, but I should doubt if these birds
find many of the Coursers' eggs.

54 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

We found a nest of the Morocco Raven one day,
containing six eggs, and placed on a ledge of rock in
an absurdly accessible situation ; I give a reproduction
here which presents a good idea of the materials of
which the nest was composed. The day was intensely
hot, and after I had finished photographing I took up
two of the eggs ; they were so heated that I could
scarcely bear them in my hand. I had not a suitable
camera with me that day for trying to photograph the
bird on the nest, so while I was thinking how best to
set about it, Lorenzo entertained me with the remark,
whispered into my ear, El cucrvo sabc niucho, Sehor.
He seemed to stand in great awe of the Raven, and I
think gave it credit for the possession of a large amount
of sagacity, in which surmise he was probably correct.

Although my fortnight in Fuerteventura could not
be called exactly successful from the point of view that
I had anticipated, yet I certainly did manage to obtain
photographs of nests, at any rate, of some of the most
interesting birds. Had we arrived in the island a
month later in the season I should have had more to
show, the Sand-Grouse for instance, or Ganga as the
peasants call them, were still going about in small
coveys, and had evidently not started nesting at the
time I write of, about the middle of March. I must
however add that I did not visit the southernmost
extremity of the island, which is, I believe, the most
interesting, and is certainly the most wild ; but I had
no introductions to any one in those parts, and though
I had a tent with me I never used it, owing to the
difficulty of obtaining water.

Food also was another stumbling block, and 1 was

PLATE X.

n^^f^

NEST OF MOROCCO RAVEN.

{Corviis tinfjitcuins.)

OUR LAST WEEK IN FUERTEVENTURA 55

very glad that we had taken a fair stock of provisions,
as meat, excepting now and then a small chicken,
bread, vegetables, in fact all the commonplace articles
of consumption, were rarely seen wherever we went.
Gojio, dried fish, and very indifferent water seemed to
be the diet of nearly all the islanders. Lorenzo came
to the door of my room one evening" looking very
mysterious, and poked his head inside, being evidently
the possessor of some secret intelligence not lightly to
be parted with. Pointing over his shoulder to the
shed where the cooking was clone he nodded his head
several times, to an accompaniment of sniffs. Cai'iie
de carnero, Sehor, he said. I understood him quite
well, but this was not enough. Dropping on all fours
he gave a loud baa, at which I could not help being
amused. This pleased him, for he thought the sweets
of anticipation were aroused in my breast as they were
in his, so with his well-known salute he left me. A
special effort had seemingly been made to give me
a treat, and if the brindled watch-dog evinced that
evening a somewhat suspicious desire for my company
that he had not shown before, who was to know that
he, and not I, was the consumer of that mutton } In a
word, the brindled watch-dog helped me over a diffi-
culty, and although it was not exactly an animal one
would care to be under an obligation to, the arrange-
ment happened in this case to suit both parties.

The people were greatly interested in my cameras,
which I think they regarded with some amount of
superstition, even Lorenzo appearing relieved when
the shutter had gone down and the photograph was
taken. Sometimes four or five of them would stand

56 SOMK BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

round while Lorenzo was handing" me the things I
required ; he was very useful in that way and would
steal up to me silently with a dark slide concealed about
his person, as though the sun could hear as well as
see. After the silence that always accompanied the
taking of the photograph their tongues would be loosed,
and Lorenzo would give them a sort of extempore
lecture on photography. This of course was while I
was photographing a nest.

A day or so before we left I offered to take photo-
graphs of Don Ramon and his family, and a little while
before the time appointed a secret expedition was made
into my room, which contained a large wardrobe, to
extract therefrom Don Ramon's best Sunday suit, while
Lorenzo was preparing, in the next room, to attack him
with scissors and razor. This was not what I wanted, as
I was desirous of photographing him as he looked in his
everyday clothes, and as he used to accompany us on
our expeditions, so I intimated as much, and finally
induced him to come out and be taken.

The event must have been noised abroad, for no
sooner had I photographed Don Ramon and his family
than their places were taken by other families, who had
walked quietly in, all decked in their very best, while a
thin stream of people could be seen threading their way
from the village.

On the evening of the day previous to our departure
we find ourselves returning home across the bare undu-
lating ground for the last time, meeting now and then on
our way peasants, who give us a buenas tardes, Sehorcs,
as they pass. Occasionally a string of camels would
go by, laden with cargo from Puerto Cabras, where the

OUR LAST WEEK IN FUERTEVENTURA 57

boat touches on a Tuesda)- morning on its vva)' to Lan-
zarote, calling at Puerto Cabras again on the following-
day on its return voyage.

Fuerteventura had but little that it could export
beyond its own inhabitants, these migrating, after an
unusually lengthened period of drought, to Cuba or the
Peninsula, by which name they always referred to
Spain ; chietiy to Cuba though, where nearly all of
them seemed to have relations of one sort or another.

When the last string of camels has resolved' itself
into a mere dot upon the horizon, and the sun is tinting
the mountain-tops an even deeper red than usual, we
find ourselves outside the little-wine shop close to
Tuineje, while the cheery brother insists on making
every one feel very uncomfortable by taking a small
glass of the thin vinegary wine of the country.

The Spaniards in P'uerteventura are great cigarette
smokers, but the older men will as frequently smoke
pipes. The flint and steel too are in general use among
many of the inhabitants in outlying villages, in which
matches are rarely seen. Certainly no more satisfac-
tory method of lighting a pipe in a strong wind is to
be found than by the use of the flint and steel. The
native match, as made in the island, is a homely affair,
consisting simply of a broad strip of touch-paper cut
into notches on one side, so that pieces may be torn
off as required, the ends of the pieces so notched being
dipped in phosphorus. The cigarettes, which may be
bought at twenty for a penny, are composed of dry,
chopped up tobacco, enclosed in a roll of paper, which
is closed up at both ends.

The poorest class of Spaniards here, as in Tenerife,

58 SOME BIKUS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

have an odd name for penny and halfpenny. If you
go into a shop that is kept by one of these people, they
will tell you that the price of such and such an article
is perro graude or pcrro peqiieuo, which means that it
costs a " bipf doof " or a "little do'>"," the former beino-
the word in general use amongst them for a penny, and
the latter for a halfpenny. I think smoking is almost
the only luxury indulged in in Fuerteventura, and poor
though the inhabitants are, it says much for their native
courtesy that they should seldom be without the means
of offering the traveller some civility, even though that
civility be represented only by a cigarette costing the
twentieth part of a penny.

For the second time all is packed and ready for the
journey to Puerto Cabras, a journey we are told that
will occupy the best part of twelve hours ; the boat is
to leave at eioht o'clock in the evenino-, so w^e make a
start in Q-ood time in the mornino-. Don Ramon is to
see us, as is the custom of the island, some little dis-
tance on our way.

With many good-byes and good wishes we take leave
of them, the last words beino- an invitation from the
cheery brother for me to stay at his house next year ;
there is an almond tree in his garden, he says, in which
the Alcairon nests every year ; the nest shall not be
touched until I come. Even the brindled dog grudg-
ingly puts in an appearance, and lies in the hot sunshine
with its nose on its two paws, looking up at the pro-
ceedings with bloodshot eyes.

Soon clear of habitations, we strike out into a new
direction, to complete the triangle of which our former
journeys have been two sides. We drop the pilot, our

PLATE XT.

tij ^

I «

u. §

h
co
u

Z

OUR LAST WEEK IN FUERTEVENTURA 59

old friend and companion Don Ramon, after about an
hour's travellino-, and then we are left to ourselves with
no sound but the soft tread of the camel and now and
again the strange cries of its driver.

The question of leave-taking reminds me of that of
remuneration for board and lodgings. Among people
of such good manners one's natural impulse would
be to scout any idea of payment, but the inhabitants
in the out-of-the-way places in these islands are poor,
and sentiment must not override common sense. Any
allusion to the matter, however delicately put, is
generally met with a positive refusal to take anything,
and yet they expect something. I usually found that
the most satisfactory way was to leave what I intended
to give them in an envelope, so that in opening this
after my departure they might avoid the embarrassment
of being " insulted " — to use a Gilbertian phrase — in my
presence.

One man with whom I stayed for a short time
provided me with a donkey to ride, much against my
own wish ; I was on good enough terms with the animal
until it took to falling clown, which it would do without
the slightest warning. After it had repeated these
performances two or three times I said I thought I
would walk ; this evidently seemed to be the donkey's
wish too, but they would not hear of it. " Moiitese,
Seuor,'' they said, " inontese, montese,'' and so I was
forced to get up again. Its next obeisance was made
on the edge of a steep ravine, down which I narrowly
escaped rolling ; this strengthened me in my resolve to
walk, and I ultimately had my own way. I think the
donkey, being Spanish, was too polite to kick me off,

6o SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

SO it adopted this suljterfuge to try and get rid of me.
which after all amounted to much the same thino-.
This leads me round again to the leave-taking question,
for the owner of this donkey, having accompanied me
as usual for a short distance on my way, and being about
to say good-bye, I asked him if I might be allowed to
make some small return for his kindness. We were
sitting down, smoking, at the time, and he waved the
suggestion aside vehemently, ''No, Se/lor, nadar he
said most emphatically, moving his hand quickly to and
fro in front of his face. Here was evidently a dead-
lock ; I did not know what to say next, but after we
had been sitting for some little time without speaking,
he said in a very low voice, apparently addressing
himself, Paim el burro ? then shrugged his shoulders
and put his head on one side as though to see how
the suggestion looked, now he had got it out. I did
not catch his meaning at once, and it was not until he
had repeated the words, this time a little louder, and
again surveyed them, as it were, after they were spoken,
that I saw what he was driving at. It appeared that
the donkey was to be the scapegoat, so I asked him
if he would accept something for the use of the donkey.
He was still very diffident, and had evidently not
accustomed himself to the idea yet, so he gave a depre-
catory shrug, as much as to say if I would insist on it,
that was the only way he could see out of it. I must
confess, after my experiences of the said donkey, I
would rather have had some other object made the
medium of payment, but that was evidently the only
solution of the question.

We saw but few birds on this our last journey in

OUR LAST WEEK IN FUERTEVENTURA 6 1

Fuerteventura, although the country gradually became
less arid, with here and there an attempt at cultivation.
They are a dull lot, the birds of Fuerteventura, and
it says little for their musical capabilities that the
Hoopoe's note is the most often heard of any during

the daytime ; the monotonous " (3o, oo, oo, oo, Oo,

oo, oo, oo," heard in the early mornings, being a sound
that associates itself in my mind with the yellow stone
walls and blue-green cactus plants round about the
village of Tuineje. The cry may be exactly imitated
by three or four whistles on a very low note repeated
again and again. It has a strangely wooden sound.

Lorenzo returned from a foraging expedition in one
of the villages that we passed through and showed me
an orange, quite a rarity in this island, and the first that
we had seen ; I admired it, but he still held it out
impatiently to me, evidently meaning it as a gift.
Villages were more numerous along this route than we
had found them on any of our previous journeys. Once
we passed a spring of clear water, which looked very
inviting, but was, so they informed me, salt. During
one of our expeditions a few days back, while we were
walking up the bed of a dry barranco, Don Ramon
stooped down at a certain point and dug away some
sand with his hands to a depth of about a foot. After
waiting for a few minutes this hollow began slowly to
fill with dirtv-looking^ water, which he said was o-ood to
drink. There were some camels and goats standing
near the place, so I think they must have been aware
of the fact of water being about, though they could have
made but litde use of it themselves. In this barranco,
in which a few tamarisk bushes were growing, I saw

62 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

a specimen of Mr. Meade-Walclo's Chat [Pratincola
dacoticc), the only one that I came across in the island.
This bird is, I believe, peculiar to Fuerteventura.

When we are within five or six miles of Puerto
Cabras we strike into a carriage road, much to our
surprise ; it seems it is newly constructed, and appears
to be feeling" its way out into the desert in a very
tentative manner. It certainly does not get much
encouragement, for so far as I know there was nothing
on wheels in the island at the time we were there. The
camels evidently mistrust this road, as they have worn
a narrow track on one side of it, and avoid walking in
the middle. It was decorated on both sides with rather
small stones placed at intervals of about twenty yards,
apparently as ornaments, for they were not of much use,
being merely placed on the ground where they could
be kicked aside. This road necessitates bridges and
all sorts of extravagances, and our camel, after studiously
ignoring the existence of the road for some miles, starts
off down the steep side of a barranco instead of going
over a bridge, so that it has to be i"nominiouslv driven
back by the man.

A loner incline breasted, and we look down on Puerto
Cabras — the Port of Goats, — still an hour's journey
away, although it appears to be so close. The sea,
as yet, Is untenanted, and there is no sign of the Leon
y Castillo, which should soon be putting in an appear-
ance on her return from Lanzarote ; we are early yet
though, and take our time over this, the last stage of
our journey.

We pass the little white-walled cemetery which
overlooks the town, and then find ourselves in the

OUR LAST WEEK IN FUERTEVENTURA 63

narrow street ; a geranium growing in front of one of
the houses being the only flower we have seen during
our stay on the island. There are no flower gardens
in Fuerteventura, water is too scarce a commodity for
o;ardening". Our luggage is left down by the quay, now
laden with stores waiting for the boat ; a row of camels
may be seen reclining on the shore, the same abstracted
oaze far out to sea, the same nonchalant chewino-.
Before we reach the fonda the boat slips quietly in
unnoticed, and takes her accustomed place.

There was a crowded table at the fonda that night,
and many quaint and curious dishes, to which justice
was certainly done by the majority of the guests.
Among these I noticed a highly-coloured old gentle-
man from Lanzarote, with a napkin tucked round his
collar, his grey moustache doing a vast amount of work
over the various courses. He was rude enough to say
to his neigfhbour, in whom I recoonised a face from
La Oliva, "The gentleman seems very fond of the
bottle.' This was in allusion to my nose, which had
borne the brunt of the sun for a fortnight. There was
a slight hush, then in an undertone, Amigo de la
Marquesa.

By nine o'clock we were on board, Lorenzo appear-
ing very jovial, either on account of the prospect of
returning home to his wife and family, or else because
he had found some wine more to his taste than that
which he had been able to eet in the villatres.

My closing recollection of Fuerteventura was cer-
tainly a weird one. The sea was calm, and after most
of the caroo had been taken on board I saw two lonof
boats being- rowed laboriously towards the steamer, the

64 SOME BIRDS OF TIIP: CANARY ISLANDS

moonlight shinino- on the ruffled water at every stroke
of the oars ; these boats were each laden with forty
lambs, two camels, and four oxen ! The lambs were
disposed of in the spaces not taken uj) by the camels
and the men who were rowing, the four oxen floating
in the water, two at each side of the boat, to which
they were attached by a kind of wooden yoke fastened
to their shoulders. The lambs were unloaded first,
bleating helj)lessly, and were passed from hand to hand
into the hold of the vessel. Next came the oxen, lifted
and swung round into position by a crane ; and lastly
the camels, bound as it were hand and foot, with their
long necks stretched out horizontally, uttering the while
a gurgling sound, as they were finally deposited with a
soft bump in the hold. I think there must be some
charity in me, because although these camels had
passed me again and again with the most contemptuous
demeanour and insolent drooping of the eyelid, yet now,
when they were helpless and bound, with the prospect
of a sea journey before them, I felt sorry for them and.
pitied them.

PLATE XII.

CYPRESS TREES AT VILAFLOR.

CHAPTER V.
Vilaflor.

TI7OUR thousand feet or more above the sea, on the
^ south side of Tenerife, is situated the small town
of VilaHor. The mountain slopes on which it is built
are for the most part composed of rocky ground, from
which springs, here and there, one of the giant pine
trees so often to be met with in the higher districts
of Tenerife ; these trees unite in places to form isolated
woods, remnants of the forest which at one time clothed
these mountain sides.

It is a quaint village, built round a large square,
the church standing at the top, the fonda on the left-
hand side, while leading out of the two bottom corners
of this square are two narrow streets. To the right
of the church are three magnificent cypress trees, the
row of steps included in the accompanying illustration
of these trees leading up to the church itself.

Like some old families, this village is touchy about
the spelling of its name, and one must be careful not
to confound the Vila with the Spanish word for town,
which is villa. Orotava people have a great love for
Vilaflor, and in that I think they show good taste.
Sometimes enveloped in cloud for days together, its
full attractions are not realised until the sun draws from
its woods the warm scent of the pines, which here

5

66 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

attain an almost fabulous size. The healthiness of the
surroundings of this, the highest situated village in
Tenerife, or the example of great age set by its pines,
is not without its effect upon some of the inhabitants of
the district, and it was a touching incident that the old
priest who had ministered to the people of Vilaflor for
so long should have been taken from them only a few-
months ago, when he lacked but three years of the
hundred.

A long journey is necessary in order to reach
Vilaflor from Orotava, and the traveller must follow
the stony path that leads past the few straggling villages
on the lower slopes of the mountains, passing through
a thousand feet of drenching cloud, where everything
is green, and the peasants live for some portion of the
year in a genuine Scotch mist ; then out of the mist
into the bright sunshine, the yellow bloom of the
genesta marking one altitude ; the white flowered retama
another. WHien the retama zone is reached, the
Cafiadas are not far distant.

Above the cloud-belt which so often surrounds the
Peak of Tenerife, shutting out all view of the mountain
from the coast, lies an extensive level plain, composed
entirely of small pieces of pumice stone ; this plain
extends for many miles, at an altitude of some seven
thousand feet above the sea, constituting what is
generally known as the Canadas, and rising out of
these same Canadas in every conceivable shape, are
jagged pieces of black lava. Then again, with almost
startling distinctness as viewed through the dry, clear
atmosphere, towers the Peak of Tenerife. It is May,
and the only signs of winter snow are the pencil streaks

VILAFLOR 67

of white that mark the courses of its crevices and
gulleys. The air is fragrant with the scent of the
flower of the retama, a kind of broom that flourishes
here where Httle else grows ; single bushes of it are
dotted here and there for miles around, some excep-
tionally large ones growing to a height of three or
four feet.

Keeping well to the left of the Peak, the path leads
on for many miles, skirting now and again walls of
black lava that rise to a height of fifty feet out of the
plain, the light pumice stone yielding a sound as of half-
frozen snow under the foot. Now the far side of the
Canadas is reached, and the traveller looks down, not
over the blue sea on the south side of Tenerife, but on
to a billowy plain of white cloud, stretching out into
space, while near at hand, like rocks out of the sea,
jagged points of black show themselves.

After descending perhaps a thousand feet, the path .
skirts a bold sweep of black cindery ground, from which
it is separated by a narrow gorge ; the colour-effect of
the retama, erowinof in isolated bushes, on this dark
background must surely be unique in nature ; the black
cinders, the sage-green stems, and lastly the white
flowers, merging in perspective into a delicate mist of
white. The cloud-belt soon obscures the view save
to a short distance, where occasionally a rugged pine
tree takes indistinct form, with its stem bare of branches
except near the top. These trees now become more fre-
quent and more distinct, until in time the lower limit of
the clouds is reached, and sunlight begins to dispel the
mist. Bird life begins to show itself, and the Caminero
may be seen along the path, now settling on a stone,

68 SOME BIRDS OK THE CANARY ISLANDS

now flying- on for a few yards and then alighting again.
This bird, Berthelot 's Pipit, is quite one of the most dis-
tinctive birds of Tenerife, and indeed of all the islands,
and what the Blackcap and the Canary are to the more
wooded parts, the Caminero is to the rough, open
ground. It is met with more frequently, I think, than
any other bird in Tenerife, and will fly along in front of
the traveller, settling on a stone or a wall by the wayside,
and remaining just long enough for him to note the
dull-brown of the upper parts of its plumage, its striped
breast, and its delicate flesh-coloured legs. The bird is
interesting as being found only in the Canarian Archi-
pelago ; even in Fuerteventura it was to be observed
on ground which was not absolutely barren of all
vegetation.

After descending one side of a deep wooded ravine
the path leads uphill, past orchards of pear trees in full
blossom, and so to the outskirts of Vilaflor.

The weather was very hot during the first few days
we were at Vilaflor, afterwards it became cooler, with
occasional immersions in cloud. No fear of bad water
here ; one has only to go about a hundred yards above
the village to find the clear stream racinof down in a
hollow wooden aqueduct, and there one is "top man,"
always an enviable position in these islands, where the
chances of fever lurk below the villages. Above us are
no habitations, nothing but the rocks and pine trees.
Following up the path a little way above the xillage we
come to the great pine tree of Vilaflor, attaining I
am afraid to say what altitude, but it was certainly seven
feet in diameter, measured at the height of an average
man from the crround. Nearlv all the trees are of

PLATE XITI.

BERTHELOT'S PIPIT AND NEST.

{Anthus berLheloti.)
5" 7'"

VILAFLOR 69

enormous size, but none of them I believe is as large as
this one. The peasants, though wood is everywhere
abundant, have cut a large wedge-shaped block out of
this tree at its base, but this has been somewhat
atoned for now by a wall of stone having been built
to pfuard the tree.

As we follow the path through the forest, various
sounds show that our movements are noticed by the
lawful residents of the woods. A raven " waits on "
us from a great height up, and so plainly does he see
us and know all about our movements, that he is in no
hurry to give his hoarse croak, a sound that travels
down very audibly to our ears through the clear air.
After all it was not exactly a warning, it was merely
a sort of clearino- of the throat, as thouoh he would
say, " Ahem ! I know you're there, you know," But
his nest was safe enough, and we were not on the path
that led to it, so he soon leaves us alone. " Not even
dangerous," he seems to say as he sails off, giving
another croak.

A very paradise this for the Fr^ai/esco, the Tenerife
Blue Tit, as it flits here and there, now dumping down
on to a twig, ducking first to one side and then to the
other, with a chattering twitter, then off as soon as
settled to its home a hundred feet up among the
tangled debris near the tops of the giant pines.

The " little friar " is an engaging bird, and one of the
few inhabitants of the forest that seems to give you any
sort of welcome. He evidently thinks you ought not to
be there, but being there he is content to scold you and
then bustle up under cover of some undergrowth to
examine you more closely. He has few companions of

yO SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

his own lively disposition in the sombre woods besides his
own kith and kin, unless it be the Tenerife Robin, who is
nearly always hunting for food 9mong the pine needles
on the ground, and when he has finished he just fiies
up to some little loop of a branch, where he sharpens
his beak and waits till he is hungry again. Not much
of a companion this, after all, for the lively Frailesco,
who is always on the alert, never still for a moment,
and seems perpetually to be trying to have his head
and his tail in the same place at the same time. He
spares time occasionally from his bustling life to come
out into a patch of sunshine which carpets the ground
here and there amid the gloom, and search a fiower for
insect food, hanging head downwards from a dependent
twig ; sometimes, in his impetuous way, he shifts his
position on to the fiower itself, which of course breaks
down w^th his weight, so he scurries off again into the
woods. There are hundreds of these little birds far
up in the tall trees, and their incessant chattering may
continually be heard.

Another resident in the forest is the Kite, Villano,
which may often be seen in the air as he glides over
the tall tree-tops, steering himself with his forked tail,
and giving now and then his peculiar mewing whistle.
He settles for the most part on an old lightning-struck
tree close to his nest, which is built near the top of one
of the tallest pines, a tree some six feet across at the
base. On the withered branch of this tree he waits for
us, and when at length we have scrambled up over the
slippery bed of pine needles, not without many back-
slidings, his attitude seems to say, " Well } "

He is quite right, for it is an impossible tree to climb.

I'LATE XIV

TENERIFE BLUE TIT.

(Fctfiis toicrlfw.)
i" 8'"

VI LA F LOR 71

SO there he remains, with his grey head slightly 011 one
side, and doesn't seem at all perturbed. Nevertheless,
he watches us through the forest, gliding above us with
outspread wings, and then floats down to the valley
below.

We retrace our steps, passing the water-course
above the village, where the Grey Wagtail catches
tiies in the air, or sits balancino- his lono- tail. He is
always there, except when the washerwomen have taken
possession of the place, when he balances his tail from
a distance and wonders when they will cease their
everlasting "clack, clack," with its accompaniment of
wet linen dabbed down on stones, and their cackling
laughter.

The pace at which some of these women talk is
almost incredible. There are no pauses, and each
syllable is dropped out with very nearly the rapidity
of the punctuations of a sewing machine ; and when it
is explained that the poorer class of Spaniards in these
islands frequently clip both the beginning and end of
some words, often substitute an / for an r, and hardly
ever pronounce the s at all, the difficulty of making out
what they say will be to some extent understood.

My friend Mr. W., who accompanied me on this
expedition, left Vilaflor for Orotava after a stay of a
few days, I remaining a little while longer. Imagine
my state of feelings then, shortly after his departure,
when our landlady, by name Livoria Cano, came in at
breakfast time and clacked off an interminable flow of
words at me, none of which I in the least understood.
If she had brought in the coffee-mill and ground it at
me I should have been quite as much enlightened.

72 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

She left the room, still talking-, and returned almost
immediately with a bunch of knives and forks in each
hand, with which she was o-csticulating freely.

I began to understand now, my friend had gone
away and taken some of her cutlery, instead of that
which we had brought from the hotel with us. There
was evidently nothing to be done till she "ran down,"
so I waited patiently, the more so as directly I tried to
get in an explanatory word the pitch of her voice was
raised considerably, she could hardly increase the speed.

All things come to an end in time, and when she
had no breath left to talk with she began to cry. A
word now and then, followed by a sob —and in the
lull of the storm I could catch such expressions as
' ' Mity pobre . . . />e7^o no sd, Seiior . . . Muy
pobreT

Now was my chance, as she gradually relaxed her
hold on the knives and forks and placed them on the
table. I was very sorry, I said, but Mr. W. was not
a thief; I would send a letter that day to him at
Orotava, and the Arriero should bring her things up
next time he came. As to being very poor, and not
knowing anything, I assured her that her cooking was
most admirable, as indeed it was. The sun now shone
through her tears, she collected her weapons, and left
the room.

We got on very well after that, and she flattered
me by saying she could understand me quite well ; I
wished I could have paid her the same compliment ;
however, she subsequently modified to some extent
the speed of her talking. This good woman certainly
cooked plain dishes very well, and in the English way,

VILAFLOR 73

which latter circumstance was accounted for by the fact
that she had been for some time housekeeper to an
English lady who lived for many years at Vllaflor,
and died there. On one occasion a live partridge was
brought into my room, with a string attached to its
legs, and my landlady wished to know if I would like
it for dinner that evening. I asked her how it was
caught ; she seemed surprised at the question, and
explained, in a sentence lasting over several minutes,
that it had been cauoht on the nest. I tried to make
her understand that in England it was not the custom
to eat partridges during the nesting season, at which
she began to cry. 1 had several more partridges after
that one, and they were certainly very good, and only
cost fourpence apiece.

One day I asked her what time it was ; the day was
misty, and as she pointed up towards the sky she shook
her head and gesticulated. "'No hay so/, Sehor, no se
que hora es,'' she said.

This was quite true. They had no church clock in
the village, but when the sundial which stood against
the church indicated mid-day, the bell in the tower
was rung twelve times.

There is no carriage road within many miles of
Vilaflor ; stores and merchandise have therefore to be
brought by way of the steep paths which lead up from
the villages along the south coast of Tenerife, or from
Santa Cruz, which is a very much longer journey.
Mules are the chief beasts of burden in Tenerife,
although there are a few camels in the island. I
remember one evening hearing a bell ring outside my
room at Vilaflor, and on looking out I saw a camel

74 SOME BIRDS OK THE CANARY ISLANDS

kneeling down in front of a small shop which faced
the house where I was staying ; the number of boxes
and packages that were being unloaded from the poor
beast miyfht well have filled a cart, and I could not
help wondering at what stage the proverbial " last
straw " would have had its effect. The whole business
was done so silently, the men being bare-footed as well
as the camel, that I should have known nothing of the
proceedings had it not been for the ringing of a small
bell which was suspended from the head-gear of the
animal.

In the more open country about Vilaflor there were
many small birds to be seen, commonest among these
being perhaps the Triguero, or Wheat-bird, in which
may be recognised a familiar English species, the Corn
Bunting. These birds were very numerous in almost
every part of Tenerife, nesting in the more cultivated
portions of the island, where their mechanical note was
uttered monotonously again and again. The Spectacled
Warbler, too, which is abundant near the coast, finds
its way up as high as Vilaflor, though I did not actually
see the bird there, but only found its nest, placed in
a cistus bush. This looked very pretty amid the
white flowers, the eo-gfs much resembling those of our
Whitethroat.

Chiffchaffs were very numerous in Tenerife, and
their notes might generally be heard wherever there
was a sprinkling of wood. At Vilaflor these birds were
nesting in May, the nests being hardly ever placed at
a less height than three feet from the ground, and
sometimes as high up as ten or twelve feet. Possibly
they build them thus in order to keep the eggs more

PLATE XV.

CHIFFCHAFF AND NEST.

(Phylloscopms nifiis.)

VILAFLOR 75

out of the way of the Hzards, which are very numerous
in Tenerife. The peasants call this bird Hortiero,
meaning Oven-bird, on account of the shape of the
nest, which is domed, as in England, with an entrance
at the side.

Another bird that found its way up to Vilaflor was
the Hoopoe, though there were but few of them at
this altitude. In Tenerife, as in Fuerteventura, these
birds often nest in the crevices of the rough stone
walls, but they are shy of disclosing the whereabouts of
their nesting-site, and if they think they are observed,
will show at times a remarkable amount of patience.
Settling on the bough of a fig tree, the bird looks very
much on the alert, erecting its crest, and being evidently
suspicious of danger ; then, having satisfied itself that
there is cause for alarm, it settles down, either along
or across the bough, flattens down its crest, and waits.
After a while it flies off to another tree, and then
both birds may be seen showing off to each other, with
their crests up, or one of them may chase a butterfly,
hovering for a moment in the air before finally
catching it.

One day during our stay at Vilaflor we found our-
selves in the vicinity of the Raven's nest, at least
there was a rather dilapidated nest placed in a cleft of
rock at a height of fifty feet or so from the ground, and
quite inaccessible except by means of a rope. On the
other side of a gorge, though, which ran beneath this
crag stood a rock, from which we could see across
almost to the level of the nest. One Cuervo sat on
a tree some distance away, the other on a big pine
which overhung the nest. This bird did not appear

76 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

to mind our presence at all. "That?" he seemed to
say, screwino- his head on one side and lookino- down
into the nest, " Oh ! that's an old nest, been there as
long as I can remember, that's nothing to do with
us," and he lolloped a little further along the branch
and hitched up one foot, as though to dismiss all
possibility of argument, finally drawing in his head
and giving one or two little flicks with the tips of
his wings, so as to ensure for himself the acme of
comfort.

I hate doubting anyone's word, and unless the
Raven were a consummate actor, it seemed useless
to pursue investigations further ; but with the business-
like training" which had for so many years been instilled
into my mind, I felt it my duty not to leave the spot
until I had found out for myself whether the nest were
untenanted or the reverse. Accordingly I threw a
stone up at the nest, with the result that four or five
gaping beaks at once showed themselves, making a
horribly immature croaking noise ; they then dropped
down, one by one, into the nest and were silent. El
Cuei^vo was in a great rage ; to think that, after all
his training, his family should have been caught by
a trick like that ; and in his anger he ruft^ed up his
feathers, and dug his strong beak many times into the
pine branch, splintering bits of bark off at each dig,
while the o-orge resounded with the hollow sounds.

I took several photographs from the rock opposite
the nest in this way, though they were not very suc-
cessful ones, and each time the young birds showed
themselves the Raven went through this extraordinary
performance, until at last, as though he could contain him-

VILAFLOR 'J']

self no lono'er, he flew to the tree where his mate was,
and dui^ with his beak at the branch close to where she
was sitting. "Why don't you do something?" he
seemed to say. " Sitting there ! " "I suppose you know
what's going on ? "

While I was photographing these young Rav^ens a
Carpintero flew out into the sunshine and settled on
the trunk of a large pine tree close at hand, commenc-
ing at once a diligent search for insects in the deep
crevices of the bark, his red nape and mottled back
showing very conspicuously in the bright sunlight.
He was not allowed to stay there long though, for
almost as soon as he had alighted, half a dozen " little
friars " came clown from the top of the tree and sur-
rounded him from all sides, chattering and pecking at
him, while many others were on their way to join in
the fun ; so he flew quickly and silently back into the
woods. This bird, the Great Spotted Woodpecker,
is not uncommon in the pine woods round about Vila-
flor, although it is chiefly by means of its ringing cry,
and an occasional rounded hole In one of the older
forest trees, that its presence is to be detected. No
bird takes better care of himself than the Carpintero,
as the peasants call him, and if you are on one side of
a tree he is almost sure to be on the other ; thus the
observer may become the observed, and he will pro-
bably find out more about your habits than you do
about his.

Towards evening we retrace our steps in the direc-
tion of the village, and as we find ourselves clear of
the forest, the mewing whistle of the Kite, as he goes
back to his favourite tree, tells us that he has watched
the last travellers out of the woods.

78

CHAPTER VI.
The North Coast of Tenerife.

T T says much for Tenerife, that without the aid of
those two accessories, rivers and lakes, which are
so closely associated with much that is beautiful in
scenery, the island should yet be able to hold its place
as one of the beauty spots of nature. The north shore
of Tenerife has a charm peculiarly its own, and at no
spot on the island is a more pleasing wealth of colour
drawn too-ether than at the Port of Orotava. Here the
sea is almost always rough, and it is but seldom that
the deep blue of its water is not separated from the
shore by a line of white surf. All along this coast the
colour-changes are rung on black, white, and blue ; the
unusually deep blue of the sea, the snowy whiteness of
the foam, and the black sand of the shore. There is
always change in this prospect, for the waves of the
Atlantic as they roll in, time after time, are of such a
size that they thunder on to the rocks, transforming
the black shore for the time being into a carpet of white
foam.

Rut if change of colour were needed, it is sup-
plied in the vegetation which grows in places almost
down to the marein of the shore itself, or in the vil-
lages and small ports which alternate with deep ravines
aloncr this coast. Chief amon''" these is the Port of

THE NORTH COAST OF TENERIFE 79

Orotava, the red-brown roofs of its houses forming a
pleasing contrast in the foreground to the sea beyond.

But little trade is done by boat along this side of
the island, the people preferring to trust their goods
and their lives to the excellent carriage road which runs
from Santa Cruz, the chief port of Tenerife, for a con-
siderable way round the coast.

The sea on these shores is jealous of any improve-
ments, and even the short breakwater that has been
constructed at Port Orotava with a view of affordine a
kind of shelter for the small fishing boats as they are
pulled up on the beach, has been treated as a mere
plaything by the waves. Whole blocks of masonry
have been dislodged at the end of this breakwater, and
it is only a question of years how soon the sea will have
completed its work. On a rough day, when the waves
run unusuallv hio-h, this little breakwater is in a con-
stant state of appearing and disappearing ; its decks, so
to speak, being only cleared just in time to make room
for the next onslaught of water, with its accompanying-
shower of spray. Here there is no harbour, and the
two or three fishing schooners which often lie at anchor
some little way out to sea, swing monotonously from
side to side as the big rollers pass beneath them.

To the west of Orotava are situated the small towns
of Icod and Garachico ; to the east lie the cliffs of
Santa Ursula, these latter frequently steeped in a blue
haze so characteristic of views in Tenerife. Above
these cliffs a pair of Vultures may often be seen, circling
in the air, or following up the course of some ravine
in their search for food. These ravines, of which there
are many, find their way down to the shore, passing

8o SOME P.IRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

beneath bridges, over which the carriage road runs.
These are well built and of immense strength, being
doubtless made so in order to withstand the sudden
floods of water that occasionally, in the winter time,
rush down the deep barrancos. The rocky beds of
these barrancos are for the most part dry, although
along their banks many different kinds of plants may
be found growing. The bramble here is common, and
the Zarzalero, or Blackberry-bird, may often be seen,
its plumage of black and white, chestnut and grey,
rendering it a conspicuous and handsome object. This
little bird, the Spectacled Warbler, generally builds its
nest in blackberry thickets, to which fastnesses it can
retire on the approach - of danger ; it is also fond of
churring at any intruder with a harsh, scolding note,
from some exposed position, such as the one figured
in the accompanying illustration, where the bird is
perched upon a broken cane. These canes attain a
considerable height in Tenerife, and when fully grown
are utilised by the fishermen as rods.

Other inhabitants dwell in these ravines besides the
Zarzalero, and here may be found a peculiar insect,
having- some resemblance to a locust, which goes by
the name of the Praying Mantis. This insect, the
whereabouts of which it is not always easy to discover,
earns his reputation for piety from the peculiar way in
which he holds his two front legs, these assuming the
position of hands when clasped in the act of prayer.
He will thus sit motionless on the foliage of some tree
or plant, and as the small creatures on which he feeds
perceive him they are struck with the reverence of his
devotional attitude. " How good he is," they seem to

PLATE XVI.

SPECTACLED WARBLER.

( Sylviit conspicillala.)
4" 8'"

PLATE XVII.

NEST OF SPECTACLED WARBLER.

THE NORTH COAST OF TENERIFE 8 1

say as they cluster round, " and what an example to
all of us,'' and it is not until the prayerful one, rising
from these exercises with a wearied and somewhat
abstracted gaze, has disposed of three or four of the
congregation, that they begin to realise that if he prays
at least he does not fast. In this strain, at any rate,
runs the legend.

To the west of Orotava the road continues along
the coast, passing through some of the most beautiful
scenery in the island. In this district there is no lack
of water, and the springs which come racing down from
the heights above are pulled aside as it were in their
impetuous rush, and conducted by wooden watercourses
to feed, here one village on the mountain slopes, and
there another.

Icod is one of the more important towns in Tenerife,
and, like the V^illa of Orotava, it prefers to stand a
thousand feet above the sea, being represented on the
shore by its small harbour, from which a steep and
villanous path leads up to the town itself. This little
harbour, so far as I know, is the only one that can lay
claim to such a title along the whole of the northern
coast of Tenerife ; when I was there a schooner arrived,
laden with stone from one of the eastern islands, a
commodity which the inhabitants could no doubt well
dispense with.

The view of the Peak from Icod differs entirely
from that obtained at Orotava, for while from the latter
place the foreground is spread out around the wide
valley of Orotava, gradually leading up to the steep
mountain rancre above which the Peak shows itself, at

82 SOME BIRDS OK THE CANARY ISLANDS

Icod there is but little fore^^round, and the mountain
rises up eleven thousand feet above the town itself.

More bananas are probably cultivated in the neigh-
bourhood of Icod than in any other district in the
island, and as one stands in the large square that over-
looks the sea, the intervening ground is mostly taken
up with banana groves. These groves are a favourite
resort of the Tenerife Robins, which seemed to be
rather locally distributed over the island. The three
nests of this species which I found were each of them
built in the space afforded by the breaking off of one
banana from a bunch, in which situation the birds
constructed an untidy-looking nest, as shown in the
illustration here reproduced. There is scarcely any
difference, to a casual observer, between these Robins
and those with which we are familiar in England ; the
peasants call them Pajaro dc San Antonio — Bird of
Saint Anthony.

One of the birds peculiar to the island of Tenerife
is the Teydean Chaffinch. This species, w^hich is also
known as the Blue Chaffinch, inhabits the pine forests
on the higher slopes of the mountains ; it breeds very
late in the season, and as I left Tenerife in June, I was
unable to obtain photographs either of the bird itself or
of its nest. We expected to meet with it at Vilaflor,
but saw nothing of it there, although we were shown a
spring where these birds were said to come and drink,
and where the peasants used to snare them.

Many of the birds of Tenerife have a hard struggle
to rear their young, not that they are harassed by
many natural enemies, but the land is worked in such
small holdings, and men and boys are so constantly

PLATK XVin.

NEST OF TENERIFE ROBIN.

[Erithacus superbus.)

THE NORTH COAST OF TENERIFE 83

passing over almost every yard of the ground, that the
nests are naturally discovered, and when discovered,
destroyed. Their natural enemies are few, save in the
wooded districts on the mountains, where there are
many Sparrow Hawks. As a rule the birds of prey
are more of scavengers than hunters, and the Peregrine
Falcon, a bird whose requirements would seem to be
met in every way in this island, appeared to be con-
spicuous by its absence. A friend of mine, who lived
at Las Palmas, in Grand Canary, told me that a few
years ago he saw a pair of these birds near the town ;
one of them stooped at, and killed, a pigeon out of a
flock of those birds, which fell to the ground, but was
immediately seized upon by some Vultures, so the
Falcons had to kill again for themselves.

Kestrels are very common in Tenerife, and it is
rarely that one or more of these birds is not in the air,
hovering over the dry rocky ground in search of lizards,
or above the water tanks, in the neighbourhood of which
they sometimes pounce on one of the green frogs which
are so numerous there. These frogs may often be seen
during the daytime among the foliage of the rose trees,
the leaves of which they simulate in colour ; they make
a dismal and incessant croaking after sundown.

Tenerife can boast of possessing several of our most
attractive song-birds, conspicuous among which are the
Blackcap, or Capirote, as the islanders call it, and the
Chiffchaff. To these must be added the Canaries, which
sing constantly in the orchards and in the trees along
the roadside ; while in the wooded and more secluded
barrancos the intermittent notes of the Blackbird, deep
and mournful, are often the only sounds to be heard.

84 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

In Tenerife the eye is catered for and not the ear,
and the song of birds represents much of the music in
the island, even the church bells, from which might be
expected some sweetness, emitting but a discordant
clanging. Some few of the peasants play the guitar,
and there is a little band at Port Orotava, composed of
a violin and three or four guitars, which discourses
excellent music ; the various members of this band are
persons who are engaged in trade in the Port, and each
is a thorough musician. This reminds me that when
we were staying up at Vilatlor we were much entertained
one night by hearing a man's voice, evidently in the
throes of a love-song, accompanied by a guitar. The
singer possessed a very deep bass voice, which he
confined within a compass of three or four notes, in a
minor key, for the best part of an hour. We thought
that he must be proposing, in song, to his inamorata,
but were told on the following morning that he had
been refused by a young lady in the village about a
month previously, since which time he always, at mid-
night, serenaded her dwelling ; it was certainly a far
more effective and sensible way of taking his revenge
than some methods adopted by other love-sick swains.
The brass band, which is located at Santa Cruz, is
let out on the occasion of any Jicsfa of unusual import-
ance in one of the smaller towns, on which it descends
rampant, and eager for the fray.

Saints days are almost as plentiful as blackberries in
Tenerife, and none are allowed to pass without .some
token of remembrance, whether it be the humble bonfire
that flickers after sunset from the dwelling of some
peasant on the mountain slopes, or the really splendid

THE NORTH COAST OF TENERIFE 85

pageantry of the Flower Carpet, held annually in June
at the Villa of Orotava.

To attempt to depict in a few lines that which
should take a whole book to describe is to do such a
subject injustice, and apart from this, I hesitate to allude
to it except in the most cursory way, having been only
a superficial observer of the ceremony, and being quite
uninitiated in the why and the wherefore which go to
build up much of the interest attaching to such a scene.
From early morning, on the day of the Flower Carpet,
crowds of peasants flock up the steep incline that leads
to the Villa, the men dressed for the most part in
black, the women and children in the brightest of
coloured shawls and headgear ; and the picturesque
old town never shows to better advantage than when
viewed thus from below, its church spires and many-
storied houses, relieved by the fresh green of the sur-
roundino- trees, standino- out in varied colourino- agfainst
the distant background of mountain, or grey cloud.
Every one, from far and near, who is able to go, turns
out to see the Flower Carpet. For days beforehand
mules, laden with heath and broom, have come down
from the mountains in order to supply materials for the
background of this effective "carpet.' The petals of
the Bowers only are used, and a separate design is
worked out in each principal thoroughfare, the patterns
being laid into a setting of dark green ; as soon as
the patterns are formed, water is sprinkled over the
"carpet," in order to keep the petals from blowing
away. The whole is a mosaic, executed in flower
petals of almost every conceivable shade. Nearly every
species of flower and shrub in the island is brought

86 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

into requisition, the gradations in colour being- quite
remarkable when it is considered that the designs are
all laid in the natural colour of the flowers, except
where black is required, when it is obtained by filling
in pieces of the broom which have been previously
burnt for the purpose. In the large squares of the
town pictures are worked out, introducing various
figures, and in one of these pictures a very effective
texture was obtained by utilising the long fibres which
hang from the Indian corn when ripe, as a representa-
tion of an old man's beard.

All traffic is suspended in the town on this day,
and when the brilliant procession, headed by the eccle-
siastics, emerges from the church, it passes along the
chief streets in turn, reducing what was, but half-an-
hour since, a blaze of colour, to a dingy mass of nothing-
ness. Some of the special pictures into which figures
are introduced are executed by members of the old
Spanish families who have been represented in the
Villa of Orotava for many generations.

Some of the old gardens in the Villa are very
charming, as are those also down at the Port, notably
the Hotel Qfarden, which has been transformed from a
ruofSfed crust of lava into a o-arden of flowers. The
soil, buried for centuries beneath this crust of lava,
is most prolific, roses and innumerable other flowers
bloominof with a total disregard of time or season.

There are few seasonal sounds in Tenerife, and the
passage of time is not marked, as in England, by the
whirr of the machine or the sharpening of the scythe.
One of the few sounds of nature's almanack during the
spring in the Hotel gardens at Orotava is the musical

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THE NORTH COAST OF TENERIFE 87

tinkle of the cone-shaped coverincr which encloses the
petals of the eucalyptus niargiuata, as it falls to the
oTOLind. knocked off by the Blackcap or the Chiffchaff
in its search among the petals thus liberated for insect
food. Another sound that is always there is the rustle
of the dried leaves as the lizard scuttles away to its
hole beneath the lava rocks.

Passino- over Icod, of which some mention has been
made, the carriage road leads as far as Garachico, one
of the most picturesque little ports in Tenerife, and
noted for being the victim of the last eruption of the
Peak, in 1706. -Here the presence of a high project-
ing cliff of rock which runs a little way out to sea has
been taken advantage of to form, in connexion with
a short breakwater, a miniature harbour, its shore
broadly margined with black sand. A harbour is of
little use, though, unless its presence be recognised
in some way by incoming boats, and the small fruit
steamer from Santa Cruz, which creeps slowly round
the coast, anchors disdainfully outside Garachico and
waits for its cargo of bananas to be rowed out in small
boats. The slight offered to their harbour passes un-
noticed by the inhabitants of Garachico, who must sell
their bananas if they are to make any sort of a
livino-.

The carriaoe road ends its duties at Garachico, and
will doubtless pause there for some time, as it has
done at so many other towns in Tenerife, before going
a stage further. The road from Icod to Garachico was
only just completed when we were at the latter place,
at which time a quarrel between the engineer who had
planned the road and the authorities of the district

88 SOME lilRDS OF THE CANARV ISLANDS

resulted in the engineer closing the road for the time
being. The inhabitants, who had taken no part in it.
were thus made the scapegoat of this quarrel, and had
perforce to take the old road which passed by the sea
on their journeyings between the two places. I do not
know how the quarrel ended, but when we returned
the road was open again.

There are two or three villages beyond Garachico,
but the country soon becomes very bare, several large
"cinder heaps," or small isolated volcanos, standing
out from the level ground near the coast ; further on
the mountains gradually recede from the shore, leaving
an almost uncultivated plain between them and the
sea. There were few birds to be noticed here, the
only ones that showed themselves being the Cainineros,
as they flew a little way along the path and then
alighted.

There is little of interest along this plain unless it
be the ice-plant, its separate bead-like partitions glitter-
ing in the sunshine, and the attention is gradually
centred on the blue sea, on which, now and again,
the presence of a sunken rock is indicated by a cool-
looking patch of white surf, until, long after the last
villaofe is reached, a headland of rock runs out to
sea which seems to bar further progress. This pro-
montory goes by the name of El Fraile, by reason of
the presence of a natural column of black rock which
stands outlined against the sky on its topmost edge,
and looked at from a distance there is a marked
resemblance in this column to the ligure of a cowled
friar descendino- the ridoe. This black headland serves
to further emphasise the play of colour so characteristic

PLATE XX.

THE PROCESSION EMERGING FROM THE CHURCH.

THE NORTH COAST OF TEiNKRH-E 89

of the northern shore of this island, and we might
perhaps find a less fitting spot in which to bid good-bye
to Tenerife than the lonely rock which el fraile has
been so many centuries in descending.

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PART II.

Some Birds of South Africa

CHAPTER I.
Houw Hoek and Stanford.

"^nr^HERE'S a power av vartue in keepin' things
sep'rate," was the remark of Long Jack, in Mr-
KipHng's Captains Courageous, and it must be admitted
that under a somewhat rough exterior that mariner
carried a divining mind.

Few countries which are in many ways similar as
to cHmatic conditions, present greater contrast with
regard to their people than the Canary Islands and
Cape Colony, and we do well to throw off as it were
from our minds the cloak of romance which envelopes
the former before entering on the latter country. No-
thing perhaps accomplishes this better than a fortnight's
sea voyage, but we cannot afford either the time or the
money to take a fortnight's sea voyage in the middle
of every book that we read, hence the advisability of
" keepin' things sep'rate."

The South African winter of 1899 had been an
unusually wet one, as many as twenty-nine inches of
rain having been registered in one of the suburbs of
Cape Town for the month of August alone, while on
one occasion during that month the water was pouring
down Adderley Street, doing a vast amount of damage

92 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

to property. Small wonder then, after all this rain, that
passengers from the incoming steamers should be loud
in their praise of the town as it appeared from the sea,
in its setting of varied green. Nor were the atmos-
pheric conditions alone disturbed, for as every one
knows, the uncertainty with regard to war at that time
hung over the Colony like a dark cloud. In time the
weather cleared, the rains seeming to have exhausted
thernselves early in September, and from the town and
harbour was visible once more the clear-cut face of
Table Mountain. Perhaps in no country are rains
more partial in apportioning themselves than in Cape
Colony, some districts receiving a continuous down-
pour, while others within a distance of fifty miles or so
are parched for want of water.

Much has been written about South Africa within
the last few months, and I will therefore confine my
remarks to the immediate districts which bear on the
subject in hand.

Along the north shore of False Bay, keeping the
extensive tract of ground known as the Cape Flats on
the left hand side, runs a short line of railway from
Cape Town to Sir Lowry's Pass station. Here the
line ends, for the range of mountains called the Hotten-
tot's Holland's Mountains forms a natural barrier that
is only to be overcome by latter - day engineering.
These mountains, one of the limitations of the old
Dutch settlement in the early days of the Colony, run
out to sea in a line parallel to the range forming the
Cape Peninsula, and constitute one of the boundaries
of False Bay.

Post carts take up the duty of the railway at Sir

HOUW HOEK AND STANFORD 93

Lowry's Pass station, and after climbing the steep
mountain road pursue their way over open and more or
less elevated ground. The destination of most of
these carts is Caledon, a small town of importance,
distant about forty miles from Sir Lowry's Pass, and
seventy miles from Cape Town. A half - way house
between Sir Lowry's Pass and Caledon stands at a
hamlet which goes by the name of Houw Hoek. This
village, situated on a pass in the Houw Hoek Moun-
tains, stands eight or ten hundred feet above the sea,
and consists merely of a church, a small hotel, and a
few white cottages, huddled together, as though for
protection, beneath the shelter of two or three tall
eucalyptus trees, or blue gums, as they are called in
the Colony. Houw Hoek had bided its time for many
years under the shade of these tall trees, and would
soon reap its reward ; the railway was going to pass its
way, sections of which were begun here and there,
along the most difficult parts of the route. The prin-
cipal seat of the work when we w^ere there was near
Houw Hoek, where extempore houses, constructed of the
ubiquitous galvanised iron, had been put up to accom-
modate the engineers. The workmen were almost
entirely Kaffirs, and their lodging was easily arranged
for, being simply a sheet of galvanised iron resting at a
slant against a heap of brushwood. Rain or shine, this
seemed to be all they required, indeed the less they
wore the happier they appeared to be, and although
they were obliged to put on ordinary clothes during
working days, they would re\ert on Saturdays and
Sundays to a state which reminded them as nearly as
might be of that of their fathers. Many of them were

94 SOMK BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

exceedingly tall, being considerably over six feet in
height.

My friend Mr. H. and 1 put up at Houw Hoek for
ten days or so, and the landlord, whom 1 will call Mr.
W., made us very comfortable. He was a hale, gruff-
voiced, cheery old man, who had come out from Eng-
land some twenty or thirty years ago ; and if he was
rather too fond of looking upon his family as children,
he at least equalised the matter by considering hiniself
to be ten or fifteen years younger than he really was.

Living in a district which, although very thinly in-
habited, was strongly dominated over by votaries of the
Bond party, Mr. W. was exceedingly progressive him-
self, spelt either with a big or a little/*, and the Cape
Dutch farmers, as they drove by his lands, would
wonder in their dour, silent way, at all his improve-
ments. He was on oood enouoh terms with them, he
knew how to treat them, and when you may be five or
ten miles trom your nearest neighbour there is no
occasion for quarrelling. These men were overbearing
at first, but he had lived down all that.

The nights up at Houw Hoek in September are
cold, a fire being often welcome in the evenings, and
as Mr. W. stoops down to put on another log he re-
marks that when we get to fifty-five — here he looks at
us hard, and pauses— we shall be glad of a bit of fire.
He had quite a small library of books in his comfort-
able kitchen, and some old Chippendale chairs, these
latter being articles ot turniture rarely seen in this land,
where everything is new. He was always ready with
some awe-inspiring tale of the "tiger." as the colonists
call the leopard, and how it had come sometimes and

PLATE XXII.

MALACHITE SUN-BIRD AND NEST.

( Nectarin ia favwsa.)
9"

IIOUW HOEK AND STANFORD 95

killed as many as twenty or thirty sheep, carrying
away but one into the bush. There were few leopards
about Houw Hoek now, and it was almost useless
to organise a raid against them, for they would take
refuge in some steep mountain cleft, whence it was
impossible to dislodge them. Should one appear now-
adays and be specially destructive, Bond and Progres-
sive would for the time being sink their differences, as
do so many of us, in the soothing by-play of harassing a
common enemy.

Mr. W. had many irons in the fire, one of his indus-
tries being the exportation to England of "everlasting"
flowers, which grew in profusion on the veldt round about
his farm. These flowers, of which the white only are
exported, are used in many ways ; among others for
making mourning wreaths. The coloured ones are also
picked to a limited extent, but kept in the district for
stuffing mattresses with, making a very comfortable and
beautifully dry bedding. In September the veldt
between Houw Hoek and Caledon is ablaze with colour,
and besides the " everlasting " flowers, heaths of varying
shades are to be found growing, from white to very
dark purple. The protea, or sugar bush, is also in
bloom, and on the nectar contained in these flowers the
different kinds of Sugar-birds feed. These birds, of
which there are many different kinds, are largely repre-
sented in Cape Colony, different species frequenting the
various districts. Two of these were abundant at Houw
Hoek, the one most frequently met with perhaps being
the Malachite Sugar-bird or Sun-bird. The colour of
the plumage of the male of this species is almost
entirely a dark metallic green, much the same colour as

96 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

one sometimes sees in the wings of beetles. The bird
presents a brilHant appearance as he darts across the
veldt with the sun shining on his glossy feathers. The
female is coloured a uniform brown, and is without the
two long centre feathers that protrude from the tail of
the male bird. The long curved beak shown in the
illustration will give some idea of how these birds obtain
their food, for althouijh insects form a considerable
portion of their diet, they are equally fond of obtaining
the nectar from flowers, and will sit on the edges of the
protea flower and dip their long beaks down to the roots
of the petals ; I have also noticed them cling upside
down to the stem of a kind of heath, and extract the
juice from the bell-like flowers, one by one.

The Malachite Sun-birds appear to feed their young
largely on insects, as the bird figured in the illustration
was just going to the nest at the time the photograph
was taken. Their eofafs, two in number, are larsfe in
proportion to the birds themselves, and are very like
those of the English House Sparrow ; somehow, these
seemed too commonplace for the birds, from whose
appearance one would have expected a more delicately
coloured ^%'g. We generally found the nest placed in a
bush, and in one instance in a tree, at an elevation of
fifteen or twenty feet from the ground, the nests being
domed, made of rough grass outside, and lined thickly
with feathers.

The Cape Long-tailed Sun-birds also were to be
seen in the vicinity of Houw Hoek, but they were not
nesting at the time we were there. These birds are
without the tropical plumage that distinguishes many of
the Sun-birds, and are coloured a lightish brown, but

IIOUW HOEK AND STANFORD 97

what they lack in brilliancy of plumage is to some
extent made up to them by the possession of very long
tails, some of the feathers of which, in the case of the
male birds, measure as much as fourteen inches in length.
This tail, in the case of so small a bird, is naturally most
unwieldy, and when the bird is engaged in catching
insects in the air it presents a very ludicrous appearance.
It is somewhat shy, and when driven from one particular
spot will rty away to a considerable distance, as though
it knew the attention which its long tail must attract ;
when on the wing this tail floats out behind, following
the undulations of the bird's flioht.

Our chief reason for going to Houw Hoek was that
we might visit the vley at the mouth of the Bot River,
which we were told was the breeding place of many
ciifferent kinds of water birds. Accordingly, one day
Mr. \V. drove us down there in his Cape cart, a distance
of some fifteen or sixteen miles. We took our cameras
with us, thinking that we might find something of
interest to photograph. The road over the Houw Hoek
Pass was good, but after leaving this behind we turned
off across the veldt, and here there might as well have
been no road at all ; however, a Cape cart is in nowise
dependent upon a road, so we bumped along, mile after
mile, over the sandy soil. The veldt, usually described
as so arid and uninteresting, was at this period of the
year — September — one mass of bright-coloured flowers,
among which the various delicately-coloured heaths were
perhaps the most beautiful. Doubtless in a few weeks
the ground would assume its normal bare condition, and
remain in that state until the following flower season.
As we drove along, the Houw Hoek Mountains lay to

7

98 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

our right, and on our left the Bot River, as it gradually
increased in width, wound along in the valley beneath.
We could see, in front of us, an extensive reed-edged
lake, which narrowed, and then widened out in the dis-
tance into a clear sheet of water ; the absence of reeds in
this clear lake being accounted for by the fact that the
water is partially salt. Just visible in the far distance was
a bar of white sand, beyond which the sea was breaking.

The previous winter having been such an unusually
wet one, the vley at the mouth of the Bot River was
almost full, and perhaps another rainy season would
cause it to burst its bar of sand which the waves had
thrown up on the sea shore, and partially empty itself
for the time being ; then again, the sea would gradually
throw up another bar of sand, and so on. Most South
African rivers behave in this way ; during the long
period of drought which they go through, the channel
which enables them to flow into the sea is forgotten,
and filled up with sand, and as this sand is gradually
piled up higher and higher by the waves, it forms
a barrier that can only be broken dowm by strong
pressure from within. This accounts for the vleys, or
lakes, which are to be found at the mouths of so many
of the rivers on the south coast, lending to these rivers
an importance as they near the sea which their narrow
course some few miles inland hardly warrants.

We outspanned at a small farmhouse which over-
looked the river, an unkempt-looking Dutchman coming-
out and mvino- us, or rather o-ivinQr Mr. VV., directions
as to how we could best approach the water. Unfor-
tunately the boat w^as at a farm some three or four miles
farther down the river, so that we had to do without it

HOUW HOEK AND STANFORD 99

on this occasion. This Dutch farmer told us that the
birds were probably only just beginning to build, owing
to the late season. With the river too deep for
wading, and without the convenience of a boat, we were
naturally placed at a disadvantage with regard to finding
nests of water fowl, but still, as many of the reeds were
not at all thickly placed together, we ought certainly to
have been able to see from the shore any nests that
there might be. We put up a fair number of the
common Wild Duck of the Colony, Geelbcck, as they
are called, which would scuttle out of the water, making
a great noise, and then fly round in a circle and settle
perhaps half a mile away. Colonies of Weaver-birds
were very clamorous as we pushed our way through the
thick sedofe that frinored the river, and we saw for the
first time one or two Red Bishop-birds.

The day was warm, and the buzzing of the mos-
quitoes over the water seemed to give an appearance
of summer heat for the first time since we had been in
the Colony. A bird that was extremely common was
the Purple Heron, looking on the wing rather smaller
than our Heron, specimens of which were also here.
We saw no Purple Gallinules, although they were
known to breed on this river, but a few of the South
African Coots were to be made out some distance away
in the middle of the lake. A bird that breeds here is
the Reed Duyker ; there are many kinds of Duyker, or
Cormorant, in .South Africa, but this is the only one of
the species that breeds in fresh water, the others nesting
on the various islands round the coast. One of these
birds that we saw was flying with a reed in its beak, so
they were evidently commencing to build.

lOO SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

Perhaps the most interesting bird we saw that day
was either the Great White Egret, or some species
closely related to it ; there were about half a dozen of
these birds feeding- in the shallow water that formed
the edge of the reed-grown vley, but they would not
permit of a near approach. They looked fully as large,
if not larger than the common Heron, and had yellow
beaks, which at once precluded the possibility of their
being Little Egrets, of which we saw many later on.
We were able to compare the size of these large birds
with that of the common Herons, as both were feeding
together at the same time, and we noticed that the
white birds appeared to be the larger of the two.

W^e went through the day without finding any nests,
rather in accordance with our anticipations. On our
way up to the farm-house we saw a pair of Cape Grass-
Warblers, which birds we often met with throughout
our stay in Cape Colony. On a near approach they
would fly up into the air in rather a dancing manner,
uttering at the same time a sharp, insistent note. They
generally managed to conceal their nests very effectually,
and would bend the sprays of a rhenoster, or other
small bush, so as to conform them to the needful shape,
afterwards fastening these sprays down with threads of
grass. Nests of these birds were domed, but the en-
trance was always higher up than the centre of the nest,
and there was a little portico above this entrance. No
doubt the weaving-in of the foliage of plants and shrubs
adopted by some of these small birds in South Africa,
is done with a view of concealino- their nests from their
natural enemies, which must be numerous ; and a nest
'thus woven in has the advantage over one placed in a

PLATE XXIII.

^i^:^

CAPE GRASS-WARBLER AND NEST.

{Friiiia maculosa.)
5"

IIOUW HOEK AND STANFORD lOI

bush, inasmuch as it only changes colour with the bush
itself, and does not fade or die away into a colour
foreion to its surroundinos.

We made a further excursion to the Bot River Vley
a few days later, going this time as far as the large open
sheet of water that lay near the coast, but although we
obtained the use of a rather dilapidated old boat, we
failed to discover any nests.

The Dutchman at the farm where we put up made
himself pleasant enough, but he either could not, or
would not, speak to us in English. The conversation
therefore had to be carried on throuoh the medium of
Mr. W. Mr. W.'s Dutch was always an entertainment
to us, though I am not hinting for a moment that he
was not a perfect master of the language, but it was
rather a curious fact that, whereas we were unable to
understand what the Dutchmen said, we could always
make out in some measure the drift of Mr. W.'s con-
versation. I think his Dutch relied to some extent on
a crack of the whip and a gruff voice, and I know that
I often detected in his conversation an English word,
decked "fore and aft" with a Dutch prefix and affix ;
some word having for its root a round old English oath,
too, would now and then crop up, garnished in the
same way. Perhaps he clung to these latter as he did
to his Chippendale chairs and his books, regarding
them as relics of the old country not lightly to be parted
with. As he drove us home over the pass he pointed
out a deep kloof, in the rocky face of which one of the
hunted " tigers " had taken refuge from its pursuers,
successfully in this instance, as the retreat was almost
unapproachable, and at any rate the object of the hunt

I02 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

would be in such a stront; position as to defy its
enemies.

I omitted to mention that on our previous visit to
the Bot River we saw some Great Crested Grebes, and
also a species of Reed-Warbler ; the latter was larger
than our Reed- Warbler in Enoland. but had a somewhat
similar song, though louder and deeper.

A bird that I was disappointed in seeing nothing of
was the Bittern, not that it would be likely to come out
and show itself, but I thought we might possibly have
put one up in pushing about in the boat among the
reeds. I have never seen this bird in a wild state, but
accounts of it which I have read have always interested
me. Some of the tangled masses of dead reeds in parts
of this vley would seem to be specially suited to its
requirements, and here it might make its nest in the
almost impenetrable sedge, and simulate by its motion-
less attitude the dead vegetation which formed so much
of the surroundings.

A small reptile with the habits of a lizard, while
possessing some of the peculiarities of a chameleon,
was frequently to be seen in the neighbourhood of Houw
Hoek, where it was far commoner than in any other
district that we visited. It had a brilliantly blue head,
and a white stripe down the middle of its back, and
these distinctive marks appeared to be always present,
but the most wonderful thing about it was its power of
mimicry in colour. If it were on an anthill its body
would assume a kind of clay-colour, while if it were on
rock which was marked with yellowish marks it would
appear with similar markings on it, and in one instance,
in which we found two or three of these small reptiles

PLATE XXIV.

SPECIES OF AGAMA.

YELLOW BISHOP BIRD AND NEST.

{Pyromelana capensis.)
5" 9'"

HOUW IIOEK AND STANFORD I03

on a rock which was marked in a very distinctive way
with a sort of red moss, or lichen, these creatures pro-
duced a precisely similar pattern on their bodies. They
had a habit of raising and depressing the head and
shoulders by means of their front legs, and would some-
times do this several times, looking round at the intruder
the while, and if alarmed scuttling into a crevice in the
rocks. My friend obtained a much better photograph
of it than I did, in which the peculiar pattern before
alluded to is plainly visible. The Kaffirs call these
lizard-like reptiles by the name of Klipsenianner. They
are really a species of the genus Againa, of which there
are several different kinds in Africa.

I mentioned our having seen the Red Bishop-bird
when we were down at the Bot River Vley ; there is also
the Yellow Bishop-bird, or to use the name by which
it generally goes in these parts, the Kaffir Fink. This
bird was a very familiar object in nearly every part of
the Colony that we passed through, the male bird as
it scurried past in a straight line of flight, showing to
advantage the intense black and brilliant yellow of its
{)lumage. The females of both the Red and Yellow
Bishop-birds are of a brown colour striped with darker
markings, and not at all like the males ; the bird shown
in the illustration is a female of the latter species.
These birds would sometimes weave their nests into the
foliage of a shrub, and at others place them there ;
when woven into the shrubs they were generally of a
substantial nature with a rather large aperture at one
side. We noticed that they continued adding to their
nests even after the young were hatched. With birds
so much akin to each other as these two kinds of Bishop-

I04 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

birds, one would naturally expect to find the e^^^s some-
what similar ; oddly enough, however, few eggs present
greater contrasts, those of the Red Bishop-bird being
of a lio^ht blue colour all over, while the eoofs of the
Yellow Bishop-bird are thickly covered with brownish-
green markings.

A peculiar bird that was rather common about Houw
Hoek was the Ground-Woodpecker. One naturally as-
sociates a Woodpecker with trees, but there are several
anomalies of this kind in South Africa, two others being
a Kingfisher that does not prey on fish, and a Cuckoo
that builds its own nest. The Ground-Woodpecker
bores holes ;o a considerable length in banks of earth,
and lays its eggs in these holes. It is larger than our
Green Woodpecker and has the general colour brown,
washed in parts with crimson ; the bird has a loud
startling cry which reminded me to some extent of that
of the Stone-Curlew, which note it will often utter when
perched upon a mound or stone.

About thirty miles south of Caledon, and not very
far from the promontory known as Danger Point, is
the villaoe of Stanford. This villao-e, like Caledon and
Houw Hoek, has its trade in "everlasting" fiowers,
rows of which may be seen drying in wooden sheds as
one passes along its chief street. Stanford is situated
on the Klein River, and is distant some ten miles from
the sea, towards which the river wends its way, mar-
gined broadly here and there with tall reeds. A few-
rowing-boats and small sailing-boats are to be seen on
this river, which is of quite respectable dimensions.
Among these reeds were many colonies of Weaver-

IIOUW IIOEK AND STANFORD IO5

birds and Red Bishop-birds, die black and red plumage
of the latter forming- a brilliant picture in the sunlight
against the background of faded reeds of the previous
year and the sparkling water. These two birds often
shared the same clump of reeds for their nesting sites,
the Bishop-birds fastening their domed nests to three or
four reeds, which acted as supports, while the Weaver-
birds generally suspended their curiously-shaped nests
from two reeds, the slightest wind making both reeds
and nest oscillate freely. There is generally quite
enough noise among a small colony of Weaver-birds,
but when it comes to a large colony, augmented by that
of Red Bishop-birds, the chattering and quarrelling that
take place are almost beyond description.

Weaver-birds were so very common in South Africa,
and made such a distracting noise whenever they were
approached, that I am afraid I did not avail myself of
all my opportunities of photographing them and their
nests ; the latter, however, were exceedingly difficult to
take, owing to the fact that they were almost perpetu-
ally swinging to and fro, suspended as they were from
the reeds, or some slender twig of a branch.

I once watched these birds building their nests,
which they often begin in June or July. A commence-
ment is made by the birds twisting long strands of grass
round the end of some pendent twig, and making a loop
of this grass, about six inches in diameter, fastened
again to the same twig ; this is the foundation of the
nest. The bird stands in this ring every time he
returns to the nest with fresh material, and works from
this position, pushing one end of a strand of grass
through the ring, and then putting himself into all sorts

I06 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

of attitudes to enable him to catch hold of it from the
Other side, when he pulls it through, after the manner
of sewing- with a needle and cotton.

The foundations for both portions of the nest are
done in much the same way, several long ends of grass
being left out at each side of the ring and then fastened
into the ring again, thus making loops which act as
supports for the bulb at either side of the nest ; other
strands are then woven on to this framework. The
bird seemed to bring a nest into a fair semblance of
itself in about a couple of days, but after that it
worked at it for a long time, patching it up and
strengthening it. The male birds constructed the whole
of the nests during the time that I watched them, and
made a great fuss over the operation, bestowing praise
loudly and unceasingly upon themselves as they hurried
to and from the nests, of which there would often be
ten or twenty in the same tree. These, when first
woven, are green, but this colour soon changes after
they have been hanging for a few days. When the
nests are beginning to assume finished proportions the
birds go inside and do some work from the interior, or
hang in a horizontal position from the opening of the
nests and critically examine their work, holding their
heads back the while, in much the same way as an
artist would retire from a picture he was painting, to
enable him to view it to better purpose. The female
birds were placed in rather an awkward position, they
were evidently anxious to assist, but were on no condi-
tions allowed to ; they had to strike a mean ; if they
attempted to help they were imniediately driven away,
with two or three sharp tweaks on the head, to drive

PLATE XXV.

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HOUW HOEK AND STANFORD lO/

the lesson home, whereas if they sulked and went too
far away they were brought back in order that they
might watch their industrious husbands.

At sunset, when one would think there should be
peace and harmony, there was more noise than ever.
At this time the hen birds are allowed to go into the
nests, but their husbands have no intention of leaving
them alone. They fly up, clinging' on to the circular
opening that forms the entrance to the nest, making at
the same time a continuous noise somethino- between a
chatter and a squeak, and when by these alarming
sounds they have succeeded in ousting their wives from
the nests, they chase them from branch to branch until
they go back again. One bird that I saw was quite
an actor ; not satisfied with tormenting his wife in the
legitimate way, he adopted a very ingenious method.
After hanofinof on to the nest and makino- the most
horrible noises, he pretended to be caught by one foot,
and twisted slowly round and round, uttering at the
same time a series of piercing screams, which gradually
diminished as the poor thing- was supposed to be at its
last gasp ; this brought the wife oqjL-ia a great state,
thinking that the end had come. No such thing, how-
ever, for no sooner was she out of the nest than the
husband chased her back exultingly. Where the nests
were placed in reeds, the birds could not act quite in
the same manner, as it was more difficult for them to
clinof on underneath.

Not far from Stanford there was a Secretary- Bird's
nest ; this was placed in a thick, bushy tree, but con-
tained no eggs at the time we saw it. These birds
build immense nests, often four or five feet in diameter,

I08 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

and two feet thick. The nest shown in the illustration
was so substantial that I was able to place my camera
upon it and also to bear most of my weight on it at
the same time. This nest was situated on the Cape
Flats, and was placed on the very top of a low Scotch
fir tree about twenty feet in height. The two eggs
were of a dingy white, with only the faintest markings
of deep red ; they must have been nearly hatched at
the beginning of October, as the young birds left the
nest early in February. One would naturally think
such large nests as these would be very conspicuous
from a distance, but in the case of each nest that we
found, it was impossible to detect it unless one were
standing beneath the tree at the time. The bird that
had eggs showed a considerable amount of cunning, for
it remained on the nest until we were underneath the
tree, when it flew off, showing an enormous expanse
of wing, sailing at first, then flapping, then sailing, as
it gradually disappeared from view. While w^e were
photographing the nest one of the birds showed itself
in the air, soaring" at a great altitude. These are,
perhaps, among the most extraordinary birds to be
found in South Africa, having the habits, and some of
the appearance, of a Crane, with many of the distin-
guishing features of a bird of prey. Their reputation
for killing snakes has secured for them Government
protection, and a fine of five pounds is imposed upon
any one convicted of killing them, though I imagine
that for the most part they prey on frogs and such like
reptiles. It is said in the Colony that only one pair
of birds will inhabit a tract of country within a radius of
ten miles or so from the nest and that they drive any

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HOUW HOEK AND STANFORD lOQ

intruders of their own species away, should they make
their appearance in the neighbourhood.

We saw one example of the Snake- Bird on the
Klein River ; this bird feeds on fish and dives freely ;
I have never seen it in the water, but it is said to swim
very low, showing nothing but its head and neck, and
might consequently be easily mistaken for a snake.
The bird that we saw was standing on a rail which
projected over the river, apparently watching for fish.

Our stay in this neighbourhood was not productive
of many photographs ; we still failed to discover the
breeding places of various birds that we were anxious
to meet with, indeed hardly anyone in the Colony
seemed to know much about, or take any interest in
the birds, while those who could ^ive us reliable
information might certainly be counted on the fingers
of two hands.

The only information we could count on was that
some particular bird we happened to be enquiring about
never nested in the neighbourhood of the place where
we were at the time, but as soon as we arrived at the
spot where it was supposed to nest we found that it
was just a little further on, or perhaps in the very place
we had previously been to. The poor birds were thus
driven mercilessly about from river to river and
from vley to vley, until they were banished, by a man
who was largely interested in the posting business, to a
lake called Brandvley, some two days' journey by cart,
where the water attains a temperature of a hundred and
forty-five degrees !

The fact is that very many of these water birds
breed in large colonies on some of the more important

I lO SOME 151 RDS OV SOUTH AFRICA

rivers farther north, one well-known breeding station
being the Berg River, which runs into the sea about
seventy or eighty miles north of Cape Town.

We were divided in our minds whether to go to
this place, or tt) the neighbourhood of the Knysna
Forest, which lies almost at the extreme south of the
Colony, between Mossel Bay and Port Elizabeth. It
would be impossible for us to visit both places in the
same breeding season, as travelling in South Africa is
not so easily accomplished as it is at home ; finally, we
decided on Knysna. This meant returning to Cape
Town by way of Caledon, and along the route we had
previously traversed. Between Caledon and Stanford is
some rather wild country, and here, on our outward jour-
ney we saw a number of baboons which were feeding in
a wheatfield ; they were separated from us by a river, and
as we approached them they leisurely made their way
out of the field, and began climbing a low mountain ;
they looked something like very large dogs, and as
they climbed the hillside they often stopped to look
round at us.

Caledon is a very much larger place than Stanford,
and possesses a Dutch and English church, besides two
or three hotels. The town relies to some extent for its
prosperity upon its hot-water springs, and here one may
have unlimited hot baths free of charge.

I obtained one or two photographs at Caledon,
notably those of the Three-collared Sand-plover and its
nest. In returning home one evening, my friend put up
a bird which we took to be some kind of Sandpiper, and
as we were walking over the same piece of ground on
the following day, the bird rose from the centre of a

PLATE XXVII.

^^W^/ W^

THREE-COLLARED SAND-PLOVER AND NEST.

(^Hgialitis tricollaris.)
G' 3'"

IIOUW HOEK AND STANFORD III

patch of dark-coloured stones. I marked the spot, and
walked up to this place, and after searching for a minute
or two we found two eggs of the usual pyriform shape,
being marked so thickly as to be almost black ; they
looked as though they had been scored all over with
charcoal, the larger ends of the eggs having distinct
zones round them. The ground underneath these eggs
was paved with very minute Hat black stones. This
bird, according to Seebohm's work on the distribution
of the CharaciriidcF, is one of three species of Three-
collared Plovers, the other two kinds inhabiting Mada-
gascar and West Africa respectively, but the bird in
question may be distinguished from either of these by
the white patch on its forehead. We saw little of these
birds afterwards, though they are stated to be common
throughout the Colony, but I fancy they are more of an
inland species, and. do not much frequent the sea shore.
They appeared to have more of the nervous vibration
of a Sandpiper than some of the South African Plovers
that we came across.

Near to the place where we found the Three-collared
Sand-plover's nest was a small lake, in which were an
immense number of frogs. Over this lake we one day
saw a bird that puzzled us for the time being. This
was the Great African Kino-fisher, which was hoverino;
above the water with its body in an almost vertical
position, its long beak pointing downwards ; when it
dived it immersed itself momentarily in the water, and
then Hew to a tree which, with several others, bordered
one end of the lake. There were two birds in these
trees, which Hew away at our approach, exhibiting a
very powerful and sustained Hight, not unlike that of a

I I 2 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

Snipe ; they gained a great altitude as they rose, and
were soon out of sight. This is the largest of the
South African Kingfishers, of which there are many
different kinds, and measures fifteen or sixteen inches in
length, its nearest ally being the African Pied King-
fisher, of which more in another chapter.

A bird that we frequently met with during our
travels was the Fiscal Shrike. This Shrike has a bad
reputation in the Colony, and takes its name from that
of the old Dutch magistrates, whose behaviour it emu-
lates, inasmuch as it disposes of its victims without the
preliminary of a trial. It is much like all other Shrikes
in its behaviour, looking very wicked at all times, and
is as common in Government Avenue at Cape Town as
it is along the railway, where it generally takes up its
station on one of the telegraph wires, dropping down
now and then into the grass beneath. The nests were
very untidy-looking structures, made of almost anything
outside, and lined with feathers and generally some bits
of white rag. The eggs were in appearance very
similar to those of our Red-backed Shrike. This was
the only Shrike that we came across in the Colony
that appeared to have the true attributes of the Shrike
family ; the Bush-shrikes, of which there were many,
having quite different habits. The Fiscal Shrikes are
very solicitous for the safety of their young, and will
dash past close to one's face, making an angry chatter.
One of the Bush-shrikes that is to be met with
almost all over the Colony is the Bakbakiri Bush-shrike.
These birds frequent more or less open ground which
is here and there grown with bushes, and are certainly
one of the commonest birds in South Africa, often

PLATE XXVIII.

FISKAL SHRIKE AND YOUNG.

{Lanius collaris.)
8" 6'"

IIOUW IIOEK AND STANFORD II3

appearing- in the gardens in Cape Town. They are
handsome birds, with their plumage of black, yellow,
and olive-green, and their loud cry is sure to attract
the attention of the passer-by. This is uttered in the
form of a duct, the male bird giving the two syllables
bak-bak, when the female follows suit, with the cry
kiri. This duet is uttered very loudly and energetically,
and often continues for as long as four or five minutes
at a stretch, if both birds keep good time ; sometimes
however, the female bird is not ready to join in with
her part of the performance, and comes in late, or tries
to make up for lost time by crying kiri several times in
quick succession ; this generally ends in disaster, and
the male bird sulks, or hops down from his perching-
place and commences feeding on the ground.

We did not find these birds in the woods, or on the
open veldt, but always on ground where there was a
sprinkling of cover sufficient for them to nest in ; they
frequented much the same country as the Fiscal Shrikes,
but whereas the locality of the latter birds was to be
found by the eye, that of the Bakbakiri Bush-shrikes
was more often to be found by the ear, during the
breeding season, at any rate.

114

CHAPTER II.
Knysna.

A BOUT midway between Cape Agulhas and Port
Elizabeth is a narrow gateway in the cliffs that
form the coast in these parts, known as the Knysna
Heads. The big liners pass it unnoticed, keeping well
out to sea ; years ago a small Castle line boat would
put in here now and again, but owing to modern
requirements and the ever-increasing demand for large
vessels, Knysna has long ceased to become a regular
port of call.

Even the two small cargo boats which ply between
Cape Town and Knysna, going occasionally as far as
Port Elizabeth, have sometimes to steam about for
hours in the open sea, waiting for a suitable opportunity
to cross the bar. Mistakes do not occur twice to the
same boat on such a dangerous piece of coast as this
is, and the pilot who lives at the Heads, and puts up
his signals to the approaching vessel outside, is certainly
one of the most responsible, if not one of the most
important men in the neighbourhood. Sailing vessels
never seem to pass through this gateway, and no one
who was unacquainted with the coast would care to
bring his ship into the natural harbour which lies
within. The slightest error or miscalculation on the
part of the skipper, and the unfortunate vessel would

KNVSNA TI5

be hurled on to the rocks and quickly despatched.
Once safely through the troubled waters of the Heads,
a broad tidal estuary lies in front, covering- many miles
of ground, and dotted here and there with islands, while
in the distance, as one looks across the water, a chain
of low hills may be seen, clothed in places with dense
woods ; these woods are the outskirts of the great
Knysna Forest.

The town of Knysna lies at the foot of these hills,
and is situated but little above the level of the estuary,
which separates it from the Heads by two miles or
so of tidal water. Knysna is not a large town, perhaps
a thousand people being gathered beneath the corru-
gated iron roofs of its houses. For many years it has
done a steady trade in timber, but when gold was found
in the forest at a little place called Millwood, it beo-an to
look around and increase its accommodation, for if the
mines at Millwood were a success Knysna would rapidly
develop, and could perhaps afford to make its splendid
natural harbour into one of the best in South Africa.

The mines at Millwood unfortunately did no more
than keep themselves going, so Knysna waited, at first
with anticipation, then with impatience, and lastly with
apathy. It was a case of settling down to its old timber
trade again, but with an additional mouth to feed in
the shape of a new hotel which had been built in
expectation of better times.

I do not think that Knysna has much to thank
Millwood for nowadays, though to be sure at intervals
mysterious-looking persons carrying handbags will even
now occasionally pass through Knysna, hire a Cape cart
and drive up to Millwood. They view the mines, and

Il6 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

then return to Knysna and dine, passing the evening
in suppressed conversation. Next morning they are
gone.

There are other ways of getting to Knysna than by
the two small cargo boats before mentioned, for while
it is always charming to read and to write of the rough
sea and the rock-bound coast, the sea which washes
the south coast of Africa is not a sea. to my mind, to
be entertained with any amount of complacency save
from the deck of one of the larger vessels, however
well-disposed one may feel towards the smaller boats,
which, to their credit be it said, fight bravely during
their voyages round these rough shores.

About once a week one of the " intermediate " boats
from Cape Town calls at Mossel Bay, distant some
ninety miles from Knysna, and from here the traveller
may hire a Cape cart and make a two or three days'
journey of it, stopping one night at George, a rather
important centre, and another at Woodville, a little way-
side inn, which with a few other buildings seems to
constitute the hamlet of that name. The road is good,
and the journey for the most part is continued along a
plateau situated well above the sea. In the neighbour-
hood of George the outskirts of the Knysna Forest are
reached, the road passing through some of the most
beautiful scenery in Cape Colony. On nearing Knysna,
steep hills and wooded valleys follow one another in
seemingly endless succession, and deep gorges that a
modern bridge might span, have to be laboriously
traversed by the winding road. The forest here has a
curious appearance, many of the trees having at one
time or another been stripped of their bark and foliage

KNVSNA 117

by bush fires, so common during- the summer months in
these districts, so that only the beire trunks and whitened
branches are left standing. Those trees which have
been destroyed for many years are, however, clothed in
a fashion peculiarly their own, owing to the growth of
long strands of a kind of moss, known as "old man's
beard," which, starting from the crevices in the topmost
branches of the trees, hang down, in many cases, as far
as the ground. Thus these old trees with their ap-
pendages of grey moss relieve the sombre foliage of the
forest evergreens, and in places, themselves supply
the prevailing tone of the forest, imparting to it an
aged and somewhat venerable appearance.

Climbing for the last time up the steep ascent of one
of these deep gorges, the traveller looks down upon the
Knysna River as it winds along many hundred feet
below, soon to broaden out into the wide estuary before
mentioned. A long, low wooden bridge spans the river
where its tidal waters begin, and then a road skirts the
shore for several miles, leading to the town of Knysna
itself.

More birds are certainly to be seen in the neighbour-
hood of Knysna than in most places situated within
Cape Colony ; indeed, so far we might have considered
ourselves better informed as to where not to go, from
an ornithological point of view, than the reverse. The
birds round about Knysna may roughly be separated, for
purposes of these chapters, into three divisions : those
that frequent the estuary ; those that frequent the out-
lying portions of the forest ; and those that frequent the
open veldt outside the forest. Each of these groups ot
birds, though naturally comprising many and varied

Il8 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

species amono- themselves, keeps to its own special
domain. We went but little into the main forest, as the
birds there were not well adapted to our pursuit, and the
gloom which prevailed rendered it almost imj)ossible for
us to do anything photographically.

The hills w^hich rise at the back of the town in the
immediate neighbourhood of Knysna, consist for the
most part of rough open ground, intersected here and
there by valleys that mark the course of some small
stream which finds its way down into the estuary.
These valleys draw straggling ofTshoots from the main
forest, and in these offshoots are to be found many birds
which, though seldom appearing outside their wooded
retreat, nevertheless prefer to dwell in a somewhat less
gloomy place than the forest itself. Nests in these
wooded valleys require a considerable amount of finding,
there are such numberless objects to distract the eye.
Several different species of Flycatchers frequent these
portions of the forest, and one may not be aware of their
presence until their notes, in many instances rather harsh
and chattering, attract the attention. As these notes,
faint at first but gradually coming nearer and nearer, are
heard, one may begin to look about for the birds them-
selves. Thus, a little greyish-coloured bird may come
into view, continuously uttering a kind of complaining
chirping note, and hopping from branch to branch and
from twig to twig, seldom flying more than a few yards
at a time. This little bird is closely followed by another,
of very similar plumage, which appears to be driving it
along, gradually forcing it to lower its position from
amono- the hiofher branches of the trees, and brinCTing"
it close up to where one may be standing. On a nearer

PLATE XXIX.

CAPE FLYCATCHER.

{Pachyprora capensis.)
3" 11"'

KNYSNA IT9

inspection it is noticeable that the bird which is being
driven is the more brightly coloured of the two, a broad
band which goes across the breast of the bird which is
chasine beine black, while in the bird which is beino^
chased there is no band, but in place of this a marking
of deep orange colour on the throat. Still being driven
from branch to branch, and continuing to utter the same
complaining notes, this bird is driven past you, until it
stands for an instant upon a knot in a branch of a tree,
and then disappears into this knot, with the exception of
its head and tail, which may still be seen. The chasing
bird, satisfied with its work, now betakes itself off,
disappearing from view among the taller trees, after a
few short fiights.

These birds are a pair of the Cape Flycatchers, of
which there are many in these woods, this species being
the commonest of the various kinds of Flycatcher to be
found here. One feature in connection with these birds
worth mentionino- is that the female bird is the more
brightly coloured of the two, it being she that has the
patch of colour on the throat. The knot in the branch
of the tree, on which the female settled, turns out to be
its nest, and the bird will allow of a very near approach.
This fact makes the nest harder to find than it would
otherwise have been, for the bird does not betray the
whereabouts of its home by flying away until absolutely
necessary. The nest itself is a beautiful structure, the
framework consisting of dried grass and little strips of
bark, covered externally with lichens and a small quan-
tity of moss, the materials being felted together with
cobweb. The lining, as in the case of all the Fly-
catchers that we met with, consisted of a very fine hair-

J 20 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

like portion of some plant, of a red-brown colour. 1
never saw the male bird of the Cape Flycatcher on the
nest, but he would come and feed the female at intervals
while she was sitting-. She did not remain on the nest
at these times, but would hop up from branch to branch
and take such food as he had broucjht her before he had
time to reach the nest ; on such occasions she would
stay away from the nest for as lono- as ten minutes at
a time, nor would she return until driven back by the
male bird, when she finally settled down upon the nest,
and the male bird would go away.

Another Flycatcher that may be met with in these
woods is the Grey-mantled Flycatcher ; we saw, how-
ever, but little of this bird, and only found its nest once.
This was similar to the nest of the species dealt with
above, with the exception of the outside, which was in
this instance covered with small pieces of touchwood ;
perhaps this covering was more in accord with the sur-
roundings of the nest than if it had been composed of
lichens. This nest, an illustration of which is shown
on plate 30, was placed in a young shoot of an oak
tree. The male and female of this species appeared to
share the duties at the nest about ec^ually, and were
constantly taking each other's place ; they w^ere very
restless birds, and were often to be seen flitting about
among" the bushes and trees, at the same time spreading
out their tails, which were broad and somewhat arched.
Their note was a harsh twittering noise, which was
uttered by both the birds, and was considerably louder
than that of the Cape Flycatcher,

The South African Paradise Flycatcher is another
bird that attracts attention in these woods. This also

PLATE XXX.

GREY-MANTLED FLYCATCHER ON NEST.

[Trochocerciis cijanomelas.)
5" 2'"

NEST OF CAPE FLYCATCHER.

KNYSNA 121

is a restless bird, keeping for the most part well out of
sight, and as it flies across one's path in the forest, its
plumage lit up here and there by a gleam of sunshine,
it presents a brilliantly red appearance, the two long
feathers in its tail streaming behind as it flies. Nests of
this species were very similar to those of the Cape Fly-
catcher, but were as a rule deeper. These birds always
seemed to place their nests over water, either in the
form of some small stream which intersected one of
these wooded valleys, or else above a pool of stag-
nant water in the forest. In the case of the nests
of each of the other two species of Flycatcher men-
tioned above, the nests were always placed in the
vicinity of water, but not necessarily actually above
it. The eo'Sfs of all these birds were much alike,
being of a pale cream colour speckled with reddish-
brown ; the markino-s would difler sli^htlv in the case
of each bird.

These nests were not really so difficult to find, but
they harmonised so well both in colour and in shape
with the innumerable other objects in the forest which
caught the eye, that they seemed to fit in as a face does
into a picture puzzle, appearing very simple when re-
garded as nests, but when taking their place in the
picture, not so apparent. On one of the many creepers
which huno- about the trees in the woods I noticed a
kind of excrescence that would often make its appear-
ance ; this was about the size of half an orange, and was
coloured grey outside, while the top of it was of a red-
brown colour. It seems quite possible that these Fly-
catchers in making their nests, imitate to a certain
extent these peculiar growths with a view of gaining

122 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

protection, as the lininu- of the nests and the tops of
these excrescences were ahnost identical in colour.

A nest that re(]uired a considerable amount of finding
was that of the Cape White-eye, a small bird closely
resemblino- in its habits some of our Tits. This bird
constructed its nest of a delicate green moss that grew
on the trunks of some of the trees, fastenincr it in one
instance to two slender branches that overlapped each
other, after the manner of a hammock. From below,
this nest had exactly the appearance of two leaves cross-
ing each other, and the moss, being of a dry nature,
would probably retain its colour as long as the nest was
in use. The same lining was employed here as in the
case of the Flycatchers, the three or four blue eggs look-
ing very conspicuous against the red-brown colour of
the inside of the nest ; the eggs, however, were protected
from view from above by the overhanging leaves of the
tree. These dull-green coloured little birds were very
fond of searching the branches of the trees for insects,
hanging on to the leaves in all sorts of curious positions.

Among the most interesting of the forest birds,
owing to their unique habit of leading the natives to
the nests of bees, are the various kinds of Honey-guide.
Of these birds I cannot say much from my own ex-
perience, but as they are inhabitants of the district with
which we are dealing, perhaps I may be allowed to
quote from writers who have studied their habits. They
are small birds and are soberly coloured, and their
object in guiding human beings to bees' nests appears
to be, not that thev mav obtain the honev contained
therein, but so that they may feed on the grubs or
young bees which are to be found in the honey-comb.

KNYSNA 123

Of the Little Honey-guide {^Indicator minor) the late
Mr. E. L. Layard writes, his authority being- Dr.
Kirk :—

" The Honey-guide is found in forests, and often
far from water even during the dry season. On observ-
inof a man it comes fluttering from branch to branch in
the neighbouring trees, calling attention. If this be
responded to, as the natives do by whistling and start-
ino- to their feet, the bird will go in a certain direction
and remain at a little distance, hopping from one tree
to another. On being followed it goes further ; and so
it will guide the way to a nest of bees. When this is
reached it flies about but no longer guides ; and then
som.e knowledge is needed to discover the nest even
when pointed out to within a few trees. I have known
this bird, if the man after taking up the direction for a
little then turns away, come back and offer to point out
another nest in a different part. But if it does not know
of two nests it will remain behind. The difficulty is,
that it will point to tame bees in a bark hive as readily
as to those in the forest. This is natural, as the bee
is the same ; the bark hive, " Musinga," as it is named,
being simply fastened up in a tree and left for the bees
to come to. The object this bird has in view is clearly
the young bees. It will guide to nests having no honey,
and seems equally delighted if the comb containing the
grubs.be torn out, when it is seen pecking at it."

Respecting the White-backed Honey-guide {^Indi-
cator major), quoting Mrs. Barber as his authority, the
same writer says, with regard to the alleged habit of the
bird leading to a snake or a leopard : —

" What I wrote to you in a former letter is the

124 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

Opinion of many old bee-hunters in this part of the
country, who have no faith in the popular belief that
leading to the leopard is done on purpose. My nine
brothers, who were all brought uj) in this country, were
all of them great hunters as well as sportsmen ; and
during all the years of their experience while they were
living at Tharfield, where bees' nests were exceedingly
plentiful, and where they were constantly in the habit
of following these birds, never once did the Honey-
guide ever lead them purposely to any noxious animal.
Many times in following the bird through dense woods
have they started various kinds of creatures ; but if they
did not neglect the bird for the purpose of hunting she
would continue her flight towards the bees' nest, regard-
less of the startled animals. One of my brothers once,
while following a Honey-guide through a dense forest
near the Kowie, passed directly through a drove of wild
pigs. They were of course more frightened than he
was, and rushed about in every direction ; but my
brother, knowing the popular belief, and wishing to test
it, took not the slightest notice of the wild pigs, but
passed on, keeping his eye on the bird, who went
steadily on her way, until she arrived at the nest she

intended to show, regardless of the pigs

And, again, when the bird has arrived at the nest she
intends to show, there is an alteration in the notes of
her voice. An old bee-hunter knows this in an instant,
and knows when he ought to commence searching
for the nest. Now this alteration never takes place
when animals of various kinds are startled in passing
throuoh the forest while followinor the bird. Hence I
conclude that she does not intend to show where these

KNYSNA 125

creatures are, or the alteration in her voice would take
place."

The Ibis for October, 1900, publishes the following-
letter on the subject from Mr. W. T. Barneby : —

" Sirs, — As I understand that some doubts are still
expressed as to the truth of the extraordinary instinct
attributed to the Honey-guide of attracting natives and .
travellers to bees' nests, I beg leave to offer you the
following account of my own experience in this matter: — -

" In October and November, 1898, I was on a
hunting expedition, in the province of Mozambique in
Portuouese East Africa. Starting!- from a station on
the Beira railway, I explored the country to the North
of the Pungwee River for about sixty miles, accom-
panied by some twenty native carriers.

" One day my boys brought me some honey to eat,
and when I asked them how they had obtained it,
they replied that the Honey-bird had guided them to
the nest. Having heard the story of the Honey-guide
before I was much interested, and desired the boys,
when they found the Honey-bird calling to them again,
to be sure and let me know, as I wished to see the
bird and its method of attracting attention. A few
days later, on returning to camp, I found some of my
boys absent, and was told they were engaged in taking
a bees' nest. On proceeding' to the spot, which was
not far distant, I found the boys engaged in chopping-
out a bees' nest, to which they told me the Honey-bird
had led them. I observed them leave a small portion
of the comb on a branch near the nest, for the use, as
they said, of the Honey-bird, but 1 did not on this
occasion actually see the bird myself.

126 SOME 15IRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

" On another occasion, just after I had shot a hyana,
and while we were engaged in skinning it, my boys
told me they could hear the Honey-bird calling to them.
I went with them into the bush, and saw a little brown
bird flying from tree to tree, and heard it uttering a
kind of twittering note. After following the bird a
distance of some three or four hundred yards through
the bush my boys discovered the bees' nest in the trunk
of a tree, not far from the ground, and immediately
proceeded to cut out the honey.

" The belief in this curious instinct of the Honey-
bird is so universally prevalent among the natives of
Eastern Africa, and instances of success in obtaining
honey in this way have been given by so many travellers,
that I cannot believe there is room for any doubt on the
subject. I may remind you that, among other well-
known travellers, Mr. John G. Millais (" Breath from
the Veldt," pp. 185-187) has recorded his personal
experience of it, and has given a sketch of the bird
o-uidino- its human allies in search of the honey."

Forest birds that went about in parties of ten or a
dozen individuals, and were very noisy and quarrelsome,
were the Colies, or Mouse birds. They are brown birds,
having rather long tails, and are, I believe, polygamous.
These birds are certainly not calculated to induce
the spread of that particular state of being, for they
appeared to spend the whole day in chasing one
another from bush to bush, with loud chattering cries,
and there fighting amongst themselves. Whether
the wives were merely quarrelling with each other,
or whether they had lately unearthed some specially
convincino- piece of scandal in connection with the

PLATE XXXT.

1. BAR-THROATED WARBLER.

(Apalis thoravica.)

5" 3'"

2. SOMBRE BULBUL.

{Andropadus inqMrtunus. )
7" 9-"

KNYSNA 127

unfortunate husband, and were taxing him with it, I
am unable to say.

A little bird that we found plentiful in the bush
around Knysna was the Bar-throated Warbler, an illus-
tration of which is shown here, with its nest in the back-
ground. The natives call this bird Bosch Ke/ke, which
I believe means " Bush Wineglass," the name no doubt
originating by reason of the peculiar notes uttered by
these birds in conjunction with each other. These
sounds, like so many notes of birds, are not at all easily
described on paper. The male bird would utter a sort
of iac tac, and then the female would reply with
perhaps a dozen notes somewhat similar in sound to
those of the male bird, but increasing regularly in speed
as she uttered them. The sounds made by the female
bird correspond very nearly to those produced by balanc-
ing a pencil between the first and second finger and then
lettino- it " run down " of its own accord on the edge of
a desk, or table. These notes were uttered very low,
and unless one were within a short distance of the birds
themselves, were inaudible.

Although one misses the continuous strains of music
that would be heard in woods at home in the sorino-time
yet the various sounds which attract the ear in the bush
around Knysna during the breeding season — October to
December — are not without a charm of their own.

Springtime in England would be thought dull if we
depended on the Cuckoo's note for music, and yet of all
birds in these forests, the cries of the various kinds of
Cuckoo are the most often heard. Many of these birds
are most brilliantly coloured, rivalling some of the
tropical species in their plumage. Two of the com-

128 somp: birds ok south Africa

moner and most beautiful of them are the Emerald
Cuckoo and the Golden Cuckoo, both of which are
largely sought after for their skins ; fortunately, how-
ever, they are now to a certain extent protected. The
emerald-green back and bright yellow underparts of the
Emerald Cuckoo render it a most beautiful object. These
birds, as though aware of their attractive plumage, keep
for the most part in seclusion, and conceal themselves
among the dense foliage near the tops of the tall trees,
occasionally showing themselves to call. None of the
Cuckoos around Knysna, so far as I am aware, possess
the note with which we are so familiar in England,
perhaps the n(;arest approach to it being that uttered
by the bird which goes by the name of the Piet Mijn
Vroiiw, the distinctive notes of which bird are to be
heard almost any time of the day during the South
African spring. These notes have an almost exact re-
semblance to the three Dutch words quoted above.

It seems odd to hear of a Cuckoo that makes its own
nest, and although the Cuckoos mentioned above are,
like the species with which we are familiar, parasitic,
yet there is at least one kind of Cuckoo which inhabits
the Knysna forest that builds for itself. This is the
Lark-heeled Cuckoo, which belongs to the family of
Bush-Cuckoos, the accompanying illustration showing
the nest and two young ones of this bird. The nest in
question, which was made entirely of straw, was placed
almost at the top of a high mimosa bush which formed
part of a tall hedge, and was constructed in a somewhat
slovenly way, as though the bird had considered it rather
out of its province to make a nest at all. There was
a large opening at one side, perhaps nine inches in

PLATE XXXII.

NEST AND YOUNG OF LARK-HEELED CUCKOO.

(Centropus senegalensis. )

KNYSNA 129

diameter, and the nest would measure about two feet
vertically by one foot six inches horizontally. This nest
contained two young birds, lately hatched, which had a
rather uncanny appearance. This singular appearance,
I have since learned, is on account of the extreme pro-
longation of the sheaths which envelop the embryo
feathers on the very young of this class of Cuckoo, and
when these young birds erect their feathers in the
manner shown in the illustration, this extraordinary
growth has the appearance of long hairs brushed
straight up.

We found this nest very difficult of approach, it
being placed about ten feet from the ground, and sur-
rounded by the long needle-like thorns of the mimosa,
some of which attain a length of five or six inches.
Another thorn, which grows in the shape of a fish-hook,
but without the barb, is the "wait-a-bit" thorn; it is
small, and only asks that its presence may be recognised,
and that it may be released from your clothing. I never
saw the V/ey Lottrie, as this Cuckoo is called, but once,
when it was on the nest, where it sat with its long bulky
tail showing outside the entrance ; on our approach the
bird slipped quietly out, dropping with great dexterity
through the maze of dangerous-looking thorns that
surrounded the nest. These birds were very shy, and
rarely showed themselves, but their cry was often to be
heard, and was one of the most distinctive sounds on the
outskirts of the forest. The note was very deep, and
was a kind of mixture between a prolonged shudder and
a coo ; the sound had a most odd effect. The Vley
Loitrie is considerably larger than most of the Cuckoos
around Knysna, and is more soberly clad, the general

9

130 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

colour being a coppery-brown, with man\- of the feathers
narrowly streaked with white.

Another note in the forest that would frequently
startle one, by reason of its loudness and shrillness, was
that of the Sombre Bulbul, which, as its name implies, is
a bird of inconspicuous plumage. It has a habit of con-
cealing itself in a bush or tree that you may happen to
be passing, and suddenly uttering its single note Piet,
from which it takes its local name ; this note when
uttered close by, has an almost ear-splitting intensity.

Sometimes in the forest we would come across some
slender shoot of a tree that had been carefully twined
round one of the many creepers which were so common ;
this was done in order that the young shoots might grow
up into thick twisted sticks, in the selling of which, as
walking sticks, there is a small trade done at Knysna.
The woodmen who train these sticks must have many
years to wait before they reap their harvest.

Oddly enough, though snakes are plentiful all over
the Colony, and especially in the neighbourhood of
Knysna, 1 never saw one during the whole of our stay.
Boomslangs, or Tree Snakes, are very common in the
Knysna forest, they feed on small birds, and one can often
tell of their whereabouts by the chattering of the Bosch
Kelkes and other birds. More snakes are seen in the
Colony along the high roads, where they lie in the dust^
than in the woods, for in the latter places they naturally
hear of the approach of anyone, and make off. Cases of
snake-bite are comparatively few in South i\frica, those
who are bitten being most often attacked at harvest
time, when the bundles of corn are being gathered up,
under which the snakes are fond of hiding themselves.

I^I

CHAPTER III.

The Estuary.

" Among the solitary birds which frequent the estuaries of
rivers, the Hern and the Cormorant are of too much consequence
to be overlooked." — Gilpin.

'"T^HE above quotation seems to apply very happily
■*^ to the estuary of the Knysna River, where not
only are the " Hern and the Cormorant" frequently to
be seen, but also many other birds which affect similar
districts, notably the Curlew and the Little Egret, to
say nothing of the Greenshank, and innumerable small
waders. All these birds, and many others too, con-
gregate in the neighbourhood of Knysna during the
three closing months of the year, and in December,
when the "season" is in full swing, the Storks, as
visitors of some importance, arrive upon the scene.

From the larore island which is connected with the
mainland by a low breakwater and on which the jetty
is built, one may look across a broad expanse of mud,
and narrow channels of water, to Steinbok Island, on
which a few low bushes and stunted trees stand out in
relief from the surrounding flats, while in the distance,
just visible through the shimmering air, rise the two
natural gates of rock which form the Knysna Heads.
At low tide the birds are busy feeding indiscriminately,
an Egret or two dotted among the Curlews, and a

132 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

Greenshank zigzagging about here and there amongst
them, feeding in his hap-hazard way. Another Egret
joins them, moving over the water with a soft, owl-Hke
tiight, and when he has settled he keeps his long neck
stretched out in a somewhat ungainly attitude, not at
all resembling the graceful pose in which he is often
depicted. Something startles the Greenshank, always
the wariest of birds, and he flies u[) with four or five
shrill screamincr whistles, winorinof his wav with erratic
flight some distance off The Egret looks at the Curlew,
which has not moved, but stands stock-still, though he
has left off feedinor • if the Curlew does not 00 the
Egret is quite satisfied to remain where he is, for the
Greenshank has cried "wolf" too often, and there is no
merit in detecting danger when five-sixths of your warn-
inofs are false alarms. The Curlew, of course, is not
infallible, but then who is ? — and life on the estuary
would be unbearable were all the birds to live in the
constant state of unreasonable excitement and alarm
that characterises the Greenshank's existence.

Another Curlew alights, and stands immovable ; he
remains so for at least five minutes, apparently absorbed
in thought, in reality taking in the slightest movement
within the limit of his keen si^ht, then, as though in
apology for having been so long in commencing to feed,
he seems to recollect himself, and puts his long curved
bill down a little way towards the shallow^ water in which
he is standing, then draws it up again. He is in no
hurry, he can easily wait another two or three minutes.
So a little while later he slowly puts it down again, this
time so as to almost touch the water, and then — com-
mences to feed? — Oh no, he only wanted to find out

THE ESTUARY I 33

if there was anybody about ; because it would have
been a good chance for anyone who might happen to
be watching him to have shifted his position, ever so
sHghtly, when the Curlew was supposed to be feeding,
and no one knew that fact better than the Curlew
himself. Presently a Heron joins them, alighting like
a fallen feather, and walks a little way out into the
stream, placing first one foot, and then the other, very
gently and tentatively in the water, as though he too
were thinking out some abstruse question. The Heron
looks about him many times before he begins to feed,
and keeps his long neck stretched out at an angle like
that of the Egret, though he is slower than that bird in
his movements.

The Greenshanks are very fond of chasing one
another when they are feeding in the shallow water,
through which they move about with great agility. One
day while I was out on the estuary, several Green-
shanks rose simultaneously, loudly uttering their alarm
cries, when the reason became at once apparent, for a
little Falcon shot down among them, just missed one of
the Greenshanks, and soon disappeared out of sight.
I do not think the Greenshanks recovered this, which
was a real danger, for some time, as they kept on the
wing till their shrill cries were lost in the distance.

The tide has now sunk so low that there is only a
broad river, not more than one-third of its width at high
tide, between Steinbok Island and the island that we
are on. On either side this channel is margined broadly
with a carpet of smooth green sea-grass, which shows
up to advantage the white plumage of the Egrets, stand-
ing here and there at intervals ; nearest the shore of

134 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

each island is a still broader expanse of mud. Out in
the middle of the channel, and far from any possibility
of danger, the Storks are feeding, live or six of them,
moving slowly down the stream. They feed in line, ten
or twenty yards apart, in a dignified manner and without
hurry of any sort ; it seems to be recognised by the
other birds that they are old-established patrons of the
estuary, and that their feeding grounds must not be
encroached upon. They are wary though, and never
allow themselves to be surprised, but if they think
danger is Hkely to threaten them they slowly rise and
fly off in line to a more secluded part. But few of these
wading birds breed in the neighbourhood of Knysna,
the majority of them being only visitors during the
" off season."

A small bird that may often be seen as it searches
the flotsam and dead sea-grass on the shores of
these islands, is the Quick Stertje ; literally, quick-tail.
These birds, the Cape Wagtails, we found common
wherever we went ; they were very difficult birds to
photograph, as are all of this species, on account of
their habit of incessantly moving their tails. They
nest in all sorts of odd places, and in positions very
similar to those chosen by most Wagtails. The nest
shown in the illustration is not very easily seen, but it is
situated under the piece of overhanging rock just below
the centre of the picture.

Life on the estuary presents a different appearance
when the tide is up ; the birds are not then feeding, and
crowds of Curlew will assemble on one of the smaller
islands in the distance, making a great noise among
themselves, which is borne across by the breeze ; not

v^Ji^^T^ieS^^!^

CAP- '■'('A'lTAIL ANr^ mpct

■Ufi capci:

PLATE XXXTTI.

CAPE WAGTAIL AND NEST.

(Motacilla capensis.)
7" 2'"

THE ESTUARY 1 35

their well-known cry, but a sort of clamorous and con-
tinued noise, something after this manner : — " Eedle

eedle eedle eedle eedle eedledoo eedledoo eedle

eedle eedle." The sound travels very distinctly over the
water, though the birds may be a mile or more away.
The Curlews were evidently moulting- when we were at
Knysna, as numbers of their feathers were to be found
on the shores of the larger islands.

The spring tides run very high at Knysna, and the
rouo-h orass near the water's edoe was often flooded for
a distance of fifty or a hundred yards from the shore,
leaving little pools and excrescences of ground that
formed hiding places for the smaller Plovers and Sand-
pipers which frequented the estuary in even greater
numbers than the laro-er wadino^ birds. These small
waders would start up, apparently from nowhere, the
Plovers flying only a short distance and then settling,
the other little wading birds forming themselves into a
flock, and flying over the water in ordered flight, now
lost to view against the screen of distant hills, now flash-
ing their white underparts as they wheel round and
settle, with almost soldierly precision, no great distance
off. The tide is still rising, and as the narrow ridge
of grass that represents all that is visible of the small
island on which they have settled is gradually sub-
merged, these small waders themselves present the
appearance of an island supported by innumerable stilt-
like legs.

There is a rock which stands a little way out to sea
from the Knysna Heads, on which the Egrets were
supposed to breed ; I do not know that anyone had
ever landed on this rock, but it was argued that because

136 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

these birds were not found nestint^ anywhere else in
the neio-hboLirhood of Knysna, they must of necessity
breed here. There were but a few days in the year
when a boat could approach this rock, but the pilot, who
should know the vagaries of this coast if anyone did
told us that he thought, under certain favourable con-
ditions, he could land us there. He said he would send
us word if a suitable day arrived, but though we were
at Knysna for a considerable time, we did not manage
to get to this rock. I believe there was one day on
which we could have gone, but the pilot did not send up
to tell us, as there was a thick mist on the water at the
time. The Egrets were observed, by fishermen who
lived near the Heads, to fly out to this rock of an
evening, and from this circumstance it was assumed
that they nested there. In all probability they only flew
out to roost, and bred in large colonies, in company
with other species of Heron, near the mouth of the Berg-
River, which, as has been previously mentioned, is
situated some little distance north of Cape Town.

With but little doing on the estuary at high tide, we
may turn our attention to birds on the island itself.
Among these the mewing cry of the Cape Long-claw,
or " Cut-throat Lark " is sure to attract notice. This
Pipit, which is not really of so bloodthirsty a nature
as its name would imply, we found plentifully on rough
ground wherever we went ; it is a striking-looking bird,
being considerably larger than our Sky-lark at home,
and having a very distinct orange- red patch on the
throat, narrowly edged with black. This bird is often
a familiar figure by the roadside as one drives over the
veldt, looking very conspicuous as it takes its stand on

PLATE XXXIV

w^^

m.

CAPE LONG-CLAW AND NEST.

[Macrvnyx cajjciisis.)
7" 9'"

I'LATK XXXV

CINNAMON-BACKED PIPIT AND NEST.

(Anthus pyrrhonotus.)
6" 5'"

THE ESTUARY 1 37

an anthill or some other eminence, in an upstanding
position.

Larks and Pipits are among the most difficult birds
to photograph ; one never knows where to expect them,
and with the camera placed almost on the ground, as it
must be, the grasses and such-like vegetation which
intervene between the bird and the lens make the task
no easy one. It took me a long time to obtain the
photograph which is here reproduced of this bird, and it
was only after a great amount of trouble that I was able
to secure it. We spent I should think quite two hours
on our knees driving the bird very gently towards an
anthill, the top of which I had focussed with my camera ;
there were many other anthills round about, and the
bird naturally chose these in preference to the one on
which it was desired he should take his stand. Again
and again he made as though he would run on to the
mound, but always thought better of it, and ran past it
on to another, while the slightest hurry or quick move-
ment on our part and he tiew away. At length, by
driving him from two different positions and letting him
take his own time, he placed himself in position, with
the result shown. Very occasionally these birds will
perch on a low bush, but they are thorough ground birds.

There were many species of Larks to be found on
the dryer parts of the large island, amongst which
the Rufus-capped Lark was very plentiful, while a Pipit
that we found breeding was the Cinnamon-backed Pipit.
This bird is, I believe, well distributed over the Colony,
but we did not see much of it ; perhaps, being of an
unattractive plumage, and resembling more or less many
of the Larks, we may not have noticed it.

138 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

Birds tliat ni;iy occasionally be seen on the estuary
are the Stanley Cranes. They appear to be more of a
land-feedino- bird than a wader, as whenever we saw
them they were either on the rough ground in the centre
of one of the islands, or else feeding" amono" some rushes
which margined one corner of the largest island. They
are fine-looking birds, standing considerably higher
than the common fieron, and hax'e almost the entire
plumage slate-grey, with the exception of the top of
the head, which is white, and the long black plumes
that hang down over the back. The young birds,
when they are two or three weeks old, are a rather
lighter uniform grey, without the black plumes, the
top of the head being of a light chestnut colour. Mr.
B.'s children, at the Grand Hotel at Port Elizabeth,
had three young Stanley Cranes, which were brought
from the mouth of the Sunday River by a Kaffir
woman ; they fed them on pieces of melon, on which
diet the birds seemed to thrive well enough, and
would follow the children about all over the garden
like dogs. These young birds make a low guttural
noise, a faint reproduction of the rattling croak that the
old birds utter. One day, I remember, I was photo-
graphing on one of the islands, when I was startled by
hearing three or four of these deep rattling croaks ; I
looked up, and there were five of these birds, sailing at
an immense altitude, with just the least flapping of their
outspread wings. They seemed nonplussed for the
moment, for they had evidently come in their dignified
manner by appointment, and I felt that I had usurped a
place which they had doubdess looked upon from time
immemorial as a sort of board room. I think they were

THE ESTUARY I 39

offended, because they broke up the regular order of
flight in which they had arrived, and sailed round and
round for a short time, making remarks about me of
an uncompHmentary nature in their deep voices ; after-
wards they moved off in different directions, evidently
disgusted.

They are strange birds, and although so dignified
when in the air, they will sometimes cut the most
ridiculous fioure on the oround. I saw two of them

o o

feeding once on this same island, and tried to see how
near they would allow me to approach ; I got to within
about fifty yards of them when they commenced to run,
spreading their wings out at the same time, and the
faster I ran the faster they ran. The bird on the far
side of me executed an extraordinary kind of dance at
the same time that it was runninp', takino- two or three
quick steps and then a jump, as it looked at me over
the other bird's back ; seeing that I was gaining on
them slightly, they then floated off into the air and
sailed away.

There were one or two of these birds in St. George's
Park at Port Elizabeth, and also some Kaffir Cranes,
and I once saw one of the Stanley Cranes, without the
slightest warning or apparent reason, suddenly execute
a kind of waltz round the Kaffir Crane, who seemingly
did not approve of dancing, as he eyed the proceedings
with a stony stare and then resumed feeding. This is
a well-known habit of the Stanley, or Blue Cranes, as
they are also called.

Sometimes one of the laree eag-les, of which there
are many different kinds in the neighbourhood of
Knysna, would sail over the estuary, wheeling round

140 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

and round at a i^reat height in the air. Mr. M., in his
collection of skins, which is I should think the best
collection of Knysna birds to be found anywhere, has
some very fine specimens of these eagles.

There are one or two small streams, which, starting
in the seclusion of the forest, find their way down through
wooded valleys into the main river near Knysna. The
largest of these little tributaries goes by the name of the
Salt River, though to be sure it is but a small river
and hardly worthy of the name. This stream in its lower
reaches is almost entirely dependent for its supply of
water on the main river, as the main river itself is
dependent on the tide, and at its mouth the Salt River
is a miniature of the estuary, mimicking at low tide the
various islands of the latter by small mud banks and
sand banks, left high and dry, the former over-grown
here and there with rushes. The same birds, more-
over, that frequent the main river are to be seen here.
Single birds mostly, and those of a kind constantly on
the lookout for danger, are the frequenters of this
particular spot, and near the stone bridge which spans
the stream where it joins the estuary a Curlew or a
Heron may often be seen, standing knee deep in the
water and feeding in a slow and cautious way.

Higher up, where the tide has drained the water
away, stands a Little Egret, his white plumage showing
conspicuously among the rushes that grow on the mud
bank by which he is feeding and listening, for he seems
to do most of the latter. He takes but little notice
of the pistol-like crack of the whip as the heavy waggon,
drawn by its team of oxen, lumbers over the bridge,
and no notice whatever of the /// of the Kingfisher

THE ESTUARY I4I

as he hovers over the narrow channel of water that now
does duty for the stream ; but still he listens more than
he feeds, and then flies up as though startled, the reason
soon being apparent, as a coloured boy threads his way
noiselessly along the narrow path through the bush.
A rouQ-h road follows the curve of the stream along-
its left bank, thick woods growing down to the water's
edge on the right.

There were other birds besides the waders that
frequented this stream, for after all the Curlews and
Egrets were merely hap-hazard visitors, and were liable
to be frightened away by any suspicious or unusual
sound. The birds which made this stream their home
were the Pied Kingfishers, of which there were perhaps
a dozen or more. There are a great many different
kinds of Kingfisher in South Africa, the smaller kinds
almost invariablv conforminof to our notions of what
that bird should be, and having the usual brilliant
plumage. The two larger species, however, depart
from this rule, and are more soberly clad, the Great
African Kingfisher, mentioned in a previous chapter,
having the upper parts a dull slate-colour spotted with
white, the under parts generally being of a dark chestnut
colour.

The Pied Kinorfisher, althouo-h a strikina-lookinof
bird, has no colour but black and white, and is roughly
about twice the size of our Kingfisher [A/cedo ispidci),
and rather more than half that of the Great African
Kingfisher. These Pied Kingfishers seemed specially
desirable from a photographic point of view, so many
birds of brilliant plumage being quite untranslateable
in a satisfactory way by the camera, but like many

142 SOME BIRDS OV SOUTH AFRICA

desirable things, their photographs were exceedingly
difficult to procure. We found that they had nested
in a bank some half-mile up the stream, but that the
young birds had already llown. These Kingfishers
seemed to fish at most hours of the day, and would vary
their station according as it was high, or low tide. At
low tide, when the water was mostly out of the Salt
River, they would betake themselves to some rocks
that jutted out into the main river, and from these
rocks they made excursions into the air, gradually attain-
ing their "pitch," and then hovering for a minute or two
at a time. On sighting their prey, they would dive
down into the water from a height of twenty or thirty
feet, often unsuccessfully, in which case they would
fly rapidly off and again hover a little distance away.
When hovering, the body is held almost vertically, the
long beak pointing downwards and the wings moving
rapidly. They seemed to prefer to fish in water of
about two feet or so in depth ; perhaps they could the
more easily see their prey in shallower water. When
they dived they would hit the water with a smack, being
momentarily immersed, and would then fly with the
fish held crosswise in the beak to the nearest con-
venient perching place, keeping close to the water as
they flew. I noticed that they always gave their victims
one sharp tap on the rock or stump to which they
happened to fly, in order to despatch it. The plumage
of the bird, as it appeared after coming out of the
water, glittered in the sun almost as brightly as the
silvery scales of the fish itself.

Sometimes when one of these birds was hovering
in the air it would dart down towards the water, then

PLATE XXXVI.

PIED KINGFISHER.

(Ceryle rudis.)

THE ESTUARY I43

arrest its progress, hover again, then drop again, Hke
a spider descending from a beam, finally darting into
the water from a height of only about a couple of yards,
when it would frequently come up with a fish. No
doubt this manoeuvre meant that the prey was shifting
its position in the water and the bird wanted to make
sure of its aim. There seemed to be somethino- wrons"
about the fishery rights of these Kingfishers, because
if one of their number succeeded in catching a fish
when the others were within sight, they would often
give chase to the successful bird with loud cries of
pitwee, pitzvee, until one of them caught him and
took the fish from him, when he in his turn would be
chased and made to yield up his ill-gotten spoils. They
would waste a lot of time in this way, when each bird
might have been fishing on his own account to much
better advantage. When they were tired of this pro-
ceeding they used to sit in a row along the shore of
the estuary in attitudes very unkingfisher-like. I think
they were the most difficult birds that I ever had to deal
with photographically ; they appeared to be able to see
through any ordinary bush ; perhaps their powers of
vision had been increased by constantly looking for fish
beneath the surface of the water.

After a little while it became easy to tell what these
Kingfishers were doing, without the aid of the eye ; a
sharp pit, pit in the distance, as they followed the
curve of the river, a pause, as they failed to put in an
appearance and were hovering over the stream, then
the echoing smack as the bird hit the water, followed
very quickly by a hollow knock as the unfortunate
victim was despatched upon a rock or stump.

144 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

They had their favourite ''kilhn^- blocks," one of
which was a solid stump with a sharp ed^e at its pro-
jecting end, concealed beneath the shade of the thick
bush which fringed the stream on one bank, the end of
this stump being- more or less covered with fish-scales,
and here was sometimes to be found a small network of
fish-bones which had been thrown up by one of the
birds. The holes in which these Kingfishers nested
went into the bank of the stream for a distance of two
or three yards, and the eggs were said to be laid on a
nest of sea-grass, but as our informant on this subject
was a boy whom we very soon found to be utterly
untrustworthy in his statements, I refrain from attaching
any credence to this piece of information. Indeed, we
soon dispensed with the services of this youth, who
rejoiced in the pastoral name of David, though had we
been collecting information in a Pickwickian style, note
book after note book might well have been filled with
the most startlino- ornithological disclosures. i\t first
we thought his rudeness was some guarantee lor his
honesty, for he was exceedingly brusque, and when we
offered him some of our lunch, as we often did, he
merely took it in his hand and walked away. We
asked him one day if he had no Dutch word for "thank
you." "What say"? he would reply. "What say"?
was his favourite expression, and became after a time
rather monotonous. One day he told us he knew of a
Secretary-Bird's nest. How far off was it? we asked
him. " Not so far," he replied. This again was always
a standing answer of his, no matter if the distance
were ten miles or only a hundred yards. He gave such
a graphic description of his visit to this same nest a

PLATE XXXVII.

PIED KINGFISHER AND NESTING-SITE.

THE ESTUARY I45

year or two ago, when the birds, according to his own
account, stood on the edge of the nest in a kind of
boxing attitude and drove him wounded from the field,
that we thought we should like to verify this statement
for ourselves ; so we sent him out to report upon the
place, for these birds return to the same nest year
after year.

When he arrived, thirsty and footsore from this
expedition, and told us that the tree had since been
cut down, I should have felt sorry for him had I not
known that he had indeed been " not so far," but had
been lying down on the hills at the back of the town
during the whole day. Before finally dismissing him,
which we did not wish to do at all unfairly, we agreed
to pay him by results ; this sounded very thorough and
business-like, and seemed to depress his spirits some-
what. However, he soon regained his customary sulky
stolidity, and informed us one day that he had succeeded
in finding several nests. Where were they ? we asked
him. " Oh, not so far," he said. Accordingly, after
walking a little way into the bush, he put down our
belongings and pointed to a tree which he approached
stealthily. This tree was decorated in a rather too
lavish manner with nests, while on the ground another
nest had been thoughtfully placed by our promising
guide. The affair was perhaps a trifle overdone, but
having started off on this voyage of fabrication he was
not going to be pulled up short for want of a little
dilating on the subject in question. " Dis bird," he
explained, in allusion to the owner of one of the nests,
" 'ad a blue 'ead and a red back." " Dis nest 'ad kickens
in it yesterday," and so on, showing at the same time
10

146 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

a well-acted surprise that the eg^gs and young ones had
since been removed. I think this exhibition of his
perfidy made us decide to dispense with his services
altogether ; he had evidently, to save himself trouble,
collected all the old nests that he could find and placed
them near the same spot ; they were not even fastened
to the branches of the tree in any way. After all, I
think we found more nests by ourselves than with his
help, carefully though most of them were concealed.

A bird that one is sure to come across sooner or
later in the Colony, is the Hammerkop. This bird
seems to stand in a class almost by itself, and is in
reality a species of Stork, but is of a dull-brown colour.
The nest of the Hammerkop is a curious structure, and
is placed sometimes in a tree and sometimes upon a
rock. The nest shown in the illustration (just beneath
the point where the branch cuts the top of the picture)
I found on one of the banks of a river that runs into
the largest of the Knysna Lakes. In shape this nest
was somethino- like an enormous wren's nest, but was
built of sticks, interminoled with a oreat lot of rubbish.
They seem to build equally often in trees. I think
these birds display a considerable amount of cunning in
placing their nests, because although these are so large
as to be plainly visible, yet when it comes to inspecting
them, I found that their size, and the position of the
entrance, prevented my discovering what was inside ;
doubdess I could have done so in time, but I was
almost sure that the two which I found were untenanted.
The Hammerkop seems to be altogether a shady kind
of character, and unlike other birds ; sometimes of an
evening we have come upon him standing meditating

PLATE XXXVIII.

NESTING-SITE OF HAMMERKOP.

(Scopus umhretta.)

THE ESTUARY 1 47

by some lonely pool, when he would seem to collect
himself and fly away. Whether his designs were to
obtain food, or whether he was tired of life, and was
meditatin<i: an excursion into the unknown, who shall
say ? Occasionally we saw him in the daytime, but
most often in this lonely way at sunset.

In this same river near the Knysna Lakes, which
was some twenty or thirty miles from the town of
Knysna itself, I saw a party of Night Herons ; they
flew with a slow, laboured flight out of a thick bush
which overhung the river, and then settled again on a tree
a little way further up. They looked ungainly creatures,
and out of place, perched upon the branches of a tree,
but they seemed to be able to retain their footing at a
considerable angle ; after a while they gradually dis-
persed themselves to more convenient pcrching-places
in the deeper recesses of the wood ; they evidently
disliked coming out into the bright sunshine. There
were three or four old birds and perhaps as many young
ones, the latter being coloured a greyish-brown, while
the dark green plumage on the head and backs of
the old birds was plainly visible as they flew. The
gentleman with whom I was staying at the time told
me that they always rested during the daytime in the
thick bush from which we put them up, but that at
dusk they would fly down to the lake to feed. It was
refreshing to get some information that I could rely
on after our experiences of the last few weeks. The
Knysna and George Lakes form an almost continuous
chain of water for many miles between those two places,
separating the cliffs which constitute the sea coast on
the one hand, from the high land where the forest
begins, on the other.

148

CHAPTER IV.
The Outskirts of the Forest.

T^ROM nowhere is a better view of the estuary to be
obtained than from the hills which rise up at the
back of Knysna, the broad river spreading itself out
below, its various islands showing here and there as in
a map. These hills are covered for the most part with
rough grass, varied occasionally with rhenoster bushes
or other small shrubs. From here also one might look
down on the strao^grlino- bits of forest which divided
these low hills, and it was seldom that the cry of one
of the forest birds was not in the air, the note most
often to be heard being the shrill whistle of the Piet, or
the weird melancholy "shudder" of the Vley Loti7'ie.
These open hills had their sounds of bird life as well
as the forest, and these sounds, like those of the woods,
were made up more of the various isolated notes of the
small birds that frequented this rough scrub than of
any sustained melody of song.

There was the short jerky note of the Cape Grass-
Warbler, as the bird flew uj) into the air for a second
or two, and then took refuge in the thick cover which the
ground afforded, or the sniffling chirrup of the South
African Stone-chat, as it settled on the topmost spray
of some low bush, and jerked its tail in a rather
galvanic manner for several minutes after alighting.

PLATE XXXIX.

SMALL GREY-BACKED FANTAIL AND NEST.

( Cisticola subnificainila.)

5"

PLATE XL

POINTED-TAILED GRASS-WARBLER AND NEST.

{Sphenceacus africanns.)
8" 9'"

THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE FOREST I49

The bird whose notes were certiiinly the most musi-
cal of any on these hills was the Pointed-tailed Grass-
Warbler, a peculiar bird, considerably larger than any
of the other Grass-Warblers that we met with in the
Colony. It rarely showed itself except when singing,
at which times it would perch in a rather conspicuous
place, and repeat the same strain again and again ;
when not engaged in singing it would conceal itself
in the thick grass and cover, keeping well out of sight.
The short wings and long pointed tail of this bird
gave it somewhat the appearance of a miniature
pheasant.

The Kaffir Fink, too, was here a common bird, and
he would hurry past in his business-like way, settle
on the top of some tall plant, and from this position
utter his curious low notes, unlike those of any other
bird, and resembling the jingling of tiny shells. This
bird seemed to have rather an easy time of it, for we
never saw him assisting- in any way at the nesting
operations, either by helping to build the nest or to feed
the young ones.

There were several different kinds of Grass- War-
blers on these hills, which latter appeared to be specially
suited to their requirements. All of these birds, with
the exception of the Pointed-tailed Grass- Warbler, con-
structed their nests, which were domed, at the foot of
a small bush or shrub, weavino- die foliaee round so as
to form the outside of the nest, and lininof the same
with the white down of some flower. These nests
were exceedingly difficult to find, and were nearly
always placed close to the ground.

The veldt on the confines of the forest was naturallv

150 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

a favourite resort of the various species of Sun-birds,
which would come out of the woods and feed on many
of the Howers. The Malachite Sun-birds seemed to be
present in every part of the Colony that we visited,
but here the place of the Long-tailed Sun-bird was
taken by the Scarlet-chested Sun-bird and the Black
Sun-bird. Both of these were very handsome little
birds, and next to the flower of \.\\q protea, they seemed
to prefer feeding on the nectar obtained from the bloom
of one of the nieseuibryanthenuiins. This was a |)lant
with fleshy triangular leaves, spreading itself along"
the ground, and in places covering a considerable
area. The flowers of this plant were sometimes of
a light pink, and at others of a pale yellow colour,
and these Sun-birds might often be seen standing on
them and dipping their long beaks down amongst
the petals. Later in the season these flowers pro-
duced a small fruit, which goes by the name of the
Hottentot fig, this is picked in considerable quantities
by the natives and sold to the colonists for the purpose
of making jam ; the raw fruit is not very palatable.
The reproduction on plate 2,Z^ showing" the nest of the
Cape Wagtail, illustrates a portion of this plant, but in
this instance it is trailing down the side of a rock,
instead of in its usual position, along the ground.

Butterflies also were equally fond of settling" on these
flowers, though they sometimes had to wait their turn
until the Sun-birds had finished feeding". We did not
find butterflies very plentifiil in the Colony ; like the
birds, they were few and far between, and a large
extent of ground had to be covered if one wished to
meet with many different kinds. One species to be

THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE FOREST I51

found about Knysna which attracted attention was one
of the beautiful Leaf Butterflies. On the wing these
butterflies showed a considerable amount of purple as
they flew past, though as a rule they kept well out of
reach, and seldom came very near the ground. These
Leaf Butterflies took very good care where they settled,
and I never saw them choose any resting-place except a
tree which was, I think, one of the white pear trees, and
had leaves of autumn tints ; here these butterflies would
alight, melting at once into the foliage of the tree, and
there defying detection. A shake of the branch would
cause the apparent phenomenon of some of the leaves
of the tree falling to the ground, while others fluttered
upwards, to settle again on the higher branches of the
tree.

The subject of protective colouring, perhaps one of
the most fascinating studies of natural history, reminds
me of the Nightjar. The edge of the forest around
Knysna seemed to be well suited to the habits of these
birds, and yet I do not think we saw one during our
stay. Had there been many about we must certainly
have heard them in the evenings ; possibly their breed-
ing time may be very late in the season, as it is with
us at home, and they might not have arrived at
Knysna before we left. The commonest Nightjar in
the Colony appears to be the South African Nightjar,
a bird similar in many respects to the European Night-
jar, with which we are familiar at home, but rather
smaller. The latter bird is also a visitant to South
Africa, and has been procured, I believe, at Knysna.

The well-known note of the Nightjar is familiar in
June to many people in England who live in those

152 SOME IJIKDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

districts which arc grown with pine and heather, or witli
oak and bracken ; the continuous churr, unexpectedly
brought to a stop as the bird shifts its position, to be
resumed again as it re-ahghts. After a minute, perhaps,
the note will sound doubly loud as another bird joins in,
then one of them leaves off, and the single churring
note continues, to stop suddenly, when all is silent.
Nor is it from their notes alone that Nightjars are
interesting birds, their extremely protective colouring,
and the rigid stillness with w-hich they mimic their
inanimate surroundings, being perhaps even more
deserving of attention.

The accompanying illustration of a Nightjar on its
eggs I obtained in Norfolk, and although with this
exception I have not introduced into my book any
photographs that were not taken either in the Canary
Islands or South Africa, yet the ground about the edge
of the forest at Knysna appeared to be so specially
adapted to the presence of these birds that the photo-
graph seems to fall naturally into place here. My
brother-in-hnv, who showed me the nest, and I, were
able to watch this bird at very close (]uarters ; she sat
quite still, and kept her eyes almost closed, just peeping
out of the two narrow chinks between her eyelids ; this
was done no doubt in order that the light, shining on
the glassy surface of her eyes, might not betray her
presence.

There is one ruse adopted by this bird which seems
worth mentioning. After I had taken the photograph
of the Nightjar shown in the picture here reproduced,
I moved slightly nearer to the bird ; she made no sign
or movement, but was, I think, in doubt as to whether

z
o

<

I-
I
o

1^

THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE FOREST 1 53

or no she should fly away and disclose the presence
of her two egg's. Was there any other deception by
which she could mimic still further her surroundings ?
Apparently there was one, to be used only as a last
resource. She kept perfectly still, her body not even
swaying as she breathed, and then suddenly vibrated
her throat very quickly and silently for perhaps a
minute, after which she left off as unexpectedly as she
had begun, and sat still as a statue again. A glance at
the illustration of this bird will show on its throat two
markings, not very distinct, but plainly visible on the
bird itself, which resembled in colour and in form two
little bits of dried bracken. I think the bird vibrated
the portion of her throat on which these specially-
marked feathers grew, so that they might resemble the
tips of the dried fronds which are sometimes to be seen
hanging from the main stem of a fern by a thread of
wool or hair, and are in these cases vibrated by any
light breath of wind. When we sent the bird off her
eggs, she flew into a wood which was near at hand and
settled on one of the boughs of a tree, not following the
line of the bough, and not across it, but in a position
between the two. On returning to the eggs, the bird
alighted on the ground a foot or so off, and remained
where she was for about a couple of minutes, keeping
her eyes wide open all the time, she then waddled on to
the eggs and immediately closed her eyes to the same
extent as before, when she resumed her usual pose of
absolute stillness. From this it seems evident that
these birds do not close the eyes only on the approach
of danger, but as a general habit, for if the bird in
question had suspected danger she would not have
'returned to the nest.

154 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

In the case of another Nightjar's nest that I came
across, the eggs were ahiiost hatching, and the bird sat
SO closely, adopting the same tactics as in the foregoing
description, that she would allow me to move her to
and fro by means of a bit of dead stick across which
she was sitting ; the bird kept perfectly rigid all the
time, never showing her eyes save through the narrow
chinks behind which she was watching, and might well
have been the rotten branch of wood that she imitated
to such perfection. The surroundings of this bird were
of a more protective nature than those of the Nightjar
which is shown in the illustration, inasmuch as when I
was trying to find her I looked more than once at what
I took to be a dead bit of a branch lying on the ground,
and it was not until I caught the refiection of the light
in her half-closed eye that the bird itself began to take
shape. Strewn on the ground were leaves of the
Spanish chestnut and the oak, and on some of the
feathers of the bird's wing were markings representing
the dead leaves of these two trees, both in shape and in
colour.

Among the forest birds which occasionally showed
themselves on the hills around Knysna, were the
Hornbills. A party of these odd-looking birds would
sometimes come and take up their positions, one by one,
on some posts that formed part of a fence running down
one of the hillsides. I noticed that they were feeding
on some large caterpillars that frequented many of the
shrubs erowino- on these hills. These birds, which
were of a kind known as the Crowned Hornbill, and
are ungainly birds with large red beaks, would fly down
from these posts and endeavour to cling on to the

THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE FOREST I 55

slender stems of the bushes while they procured their
food, flapping about in a clumsy way, and seeming much
too heavy to gain any prolonged foothold. They would
then fly back to their several posts before making further
excursions. They made a sharp metallic clicking noise
occasionally, consisting of one note only, and when they
had done feeding they flew off, one by one, as they had
arrived, to a thick bush which became almost black as
the whole flock gradually assembled themselves upon
it. I do not think these birds were breeding at the
time we were at Knysna, but there is a peculiarity in
connection with their nesting habits which may be
interesting-. These Hornbills nest in holes in trees
in the forest, and when the female bird commences
to sit, the male bird plasters up the aperture leading
into the nest, leaving only a small space, through which
the female can be fed. She is thus entirely dependent
on him for food, and not only so, but should " anything
happen " to the male bird, to use a familiar phrase, the
female would be unable, so it is asserted, to set herself
free from the inside. When the young birds are ready
to fly she is liberated, with them, by the male bird.

The Eagle-Owls in South Africa are represented by
two or three different species, of which the Cape Eagle-
Owl is the largest. We did not come across this bird,
but on one or two occasions we met with the Spotted
Eagle-Owl. The first time we saw this bird was near
Caledon, where we flushed it twice from some rocks in
the vicinity of a small stream ; in neither case did we
see the bird until it rose, the markings of its feathers
no doubt rendering it inconspicuous among the rocks
and rough ground which formed its surroundings. We

156 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

looked carefully for any sign of a nest, but could find
none ; possibly, the month being September, we were
too early. At Knysna, on a narrow shelf of rock in the
face of a disused stone quarry we were one day shown
two young birds of this species ; they were almost ready
to fly, and it was surprising that they had not been
taken out of the nest, as some men were boring for
water at the foot of the quarry. We saw nothing of
the old birds in tliis instance, but they were probably
concealed in the rough scrub which surrounded the
quarry. The remains of small crabs and the skin of a
snake were lying on the ground beneath the nest, show-
ing what kind of food these birds had conveyed to their
young ones.

I have reproduced several photographs of these two
young Eagle-Owls, not so much from a natural history
point of view, as because of the really ludicrous expres-
sions that are to be seen on their faces. I may say that
it was not until I had developed the negatives that the
intense humour apparent in the photographs of these
young owls occurred to me.

So far from looking young, however, they might be
a hundred years of age, judging from their expressions.
If they had been acting a play, in which one of them
took the part of husband and the other that of wife, they
could hardly have produced more absurd results.

In illustration number one, for instance, the husband
is seeing that all is secure for the night, while in number
two they evidently suspect the presence of burglars.
Illustration number three rather gives one the idea
that the wife, being something of a pessimist, has been
expressing doubts as to their ability to last through the

PLATE XT.TT.

SPOTTED EAGLE-OWLS.
IMMATURE.

(Bubo maculosus.)
19"

TIIK OUTSKIRTS OF THE FOREST 1 57

winter, coals and provisions being at their present
high prices ; this remark is met by her husband, who
is apparently of a more hopeful turn of mind, assuring
her that Providence will look after them. In illustra-
tion number four the wife has seemingly brightened
up a little, and has ventured, in a very mild way, to
make a joke ; she looks timidly at her husband to see
how it has " taken," and almost wishes she could recall
it. How well we recognise the husband's demeanour
from our knowledoe of human nature ; the much-sat-
upon wife, it may be, taking advantage of an unusual
period of good-humoured self-complacency in her
spouse, ventures her annual joke ; too often, alas, this
is met by the husband with a rather forced and tolerant
smile, and some such reply as, " Really, my dear, if you
can't think of anything better to say than that ! "

After all, they were only acting, as we see from the
illustration in the centre of the plate, which says as
plainly as can be, that they are not such fools as they
look.

CHAPTER V.

Two Kinds of Plover.

/^N those portions of the coast of South Africa where
^^^ the sea does not beat directly upon the cHffs,
there is generally a more or less sheltered bay, the
shore of which is composed of very light-coloured
sand, almost amounting to white. This light sand
occurs in False Bay, Mossel Bay, the neighbourhood
of Port Elizabeth, and doubtless in many other bays
around the coast. In False Bay especially, when the
sea happens to be in a good humour and the waves
are mere ripples, the water assumes a delicate trans-
parent green tint, owing probably to the fact that the
colour received from the blue sky is influenced by that
thrown up from the light sand beneath, the two hues
blending their tones in the water. Perhaps no wider
contrast could be found in the way of shore than that
between the coast of Tenerife and of South Africa, the
former with its almost unnatural combination of deep
blue water and black sand, the latter with its white
sand and the faint contrast of transparent green water.
It stands to reason, then, that any birds which make
their home on this white shore must themselves be of
a very light colour ; the only ones, so far as I know,
that can claim protection from such a shore, being the
White Sand- Plovers, which, seen in certain lights are
but little darker than the sand itself

TWO KINDS OF PLOVER 1 59

Shore Plovers of their various kinds have always
seemed to me among the most interesting of birds ;
their methods of escaping observation, and the unpro-
tected way in which they place their eggs, appearing
to present to the naturalist a direct challenge to find
these if he can. The birds are open enough about
their nests, and they do not deny for a moment that
they have got eggs, all they ask of you is that you will
be quick over your search, so that they may return to
them. They are in no hurry though, standing perhaps
forty or fifty yards from you, and gazing seawards in a
rather preoccupied manner, occasionally giving their
characteristic little bow or duck, which all the shore
Plovers seem to share in common with each other.
You do not find their eggs, they did not expect that
you would, so after you are gone, and not until after
you are gone, the bird returns to the nest, first tucking
the epos underneath her, then screwing herself round
once or twice, and shifting her position every few
minutes so as to face the wind, after which she half
closes her eyes, but not her ears, and dozes. Such
are the habits of most shore Plovers, whether it be
the Rinoed Plover on the EnoHsh coast, or the White
Sand-Plover of South Africa, six thousand miles away.
Nevertheless, in one rather important point they
differ, for whereas the Ringed Plover if undisturbed
will nearly always lay four eggs, the White Sand-
Plover, so far as my experience goes, never lays more
than two. The eggs also of the latter species are less
pyriform, and lack to a certain degree the characteristic
plover-like shape of those of the Ringed Plover.

Although none of these birds make any nest, pro-

l6o SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

perly speaking, yet most of them, after scooping- a
slight hollow in the sand or shingle on which they
deposit their eggs, line this hollow with small flat
stones or little bits of shell, matching the eggs to some
extent in colour. It would be hard to say what is
their reason for doing this, but certainly if these little
stones or bits of shell be removed, the birds will
replace them with others.

I remember watching some Ringed Plovers on a
bed of shingle not long ago in Norfolk, and I could
see, with the aid of a pair of glasses, one of these
birds sitting on her eggs ; the white circle round the
neck, from which the birds take their name and which
is so conspicuous when they are standing, was now
closed up to a narrow ring as the bird sat on the beach,
and might have been a thin white stone, sticking up
edgewise ; it also served the purpose of dividing the
bird, as it were, into two pieces, which looked like two
brown stones. Another instance of the same kind was
in connexion with the Kentish Plover, a rather rare
bird in England. I was trying to make out the identity
of a small wading bird near Las Palmas in Grand
Canary, which I think was a Turnstone, as it was
feeding in a shallow pool. The bird was working its
way round what I took to be two stones lying in the
water, and on my approach it flew away, when to my
surprise the two stones also ran along a little distance in
the pool ; I looked through my glasses and then found
that what I had taken to be two stones was really a
Kentish Plover. In the position in which the bird was
standing, the white collar which extends round the
back of the neck had exactly the appearance of a ripple

PLATE XLIII.

y'" w, ---;-• V ^■^V'-, ..->#■?:l^^-

"^ .,

-vi^

'■-few-". .' jsti

WHITE-FRONTED SAND-PLOVER AND NEST.

(^■Egialitis marginuta. )
1"

TWO KINDS OF PLOVER l6l

of water catching' the Hght as it was blown against a
stone. In this case the stone was the bird's head,
while its body was to all intents and purposes another
stone of larger size. As long as the bird kept still I
should not have found out the deception, but directly
it moved I wondered how I could have been mistaken.

On the shore of Mossel Bay. which is nearly a
hundred miles from Knysna, there is no beach, but
taking the place of beach are great quantities of finely
broken shells, giving the shore a pearly appearance.
The White Sand- Plovers frequent this bit of coast, as
they do every suitable stretch of coast around South
Africa, and they make their nests here, placing them a
little way up the sand banks and lining them with
small pieces of broken shells. Thus they rather draw
attention to the nests than otherwise, for they are easily
discovered when placed in this way on the white sand,
where there are but few other objects to distract the
eye.

Where the shore is suited to their requirements
these birds are very numerous, but at Knysna .there
was little of such ground. On the island called
Steinbok Island, near the mouth of the river, we found
these Plovers, and also on one or two strips of white
sand that there happened to be on the shore of the
estuary. This ground, however, had great advantages
from the point of view of the birds themselves, inas-
much as it was thickly dotted over with stones, and for
this reason the eggs were very difficult to find. Again
and again I marked one of these birds on a strip of.
shore at Knysna, but was unable to discover any eggs,
until at last I went down on my knees at the exact

1 62 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

spot where I had seen the bird run from, and then 1
saw, partly hidden by the sand, two Hght-coloured eggs.
The tides vary much in the Knysna estuary, and I
could see that at one time the river had been up as
far as the nest, round which the bird had made a little
trench, apparently with the object of diverting the water.
With regard to the birds themselves perhaps I may
be allowed to remark at some length. The first cir-
cumstance that would attract the attention of the passer-
by would probably be a low note, pir-rit, uttered very
softly ; this may be repeated, and on looking to see
whence the sound proceeds you may distinguish the bird
running swiftly in front of you, then stopping suddenly,
standing quite still, and looking at you. The note is
repeated, and you are aware that two birds are stand-
ing close together, watching you ; one of them will
perhaps give a quick, stiff little bow, and then stand still
again. If you move towards them they will wait until
you are within a short distance, and then both of them
will commence running as hard as they can, with legs
slighdy bent, and bodies rather hunched up. They run
so evenly and smoothly, and their legs move so quickly,
that they appear to be sliding along invisible wires.
Again they come to a stand, utter their low call pir-
rit, and seem to wonder what you want with them.
If you press them too far, so that they are driven off
the strip of white sand on to the green grass, their
instinct seems to tell them that here they are con-
spicuous, and they will not run on this grass but will
take wing over the water, returning to the extremity
of the white sand along which you have already passed.
You can do no more with them in this way, but if

TWO KINDS OF PLOVER 1 63

you lie down somewhere near their nest, partly con-
cealed by one of the ridges of sea-grass, you will,
before very long, see a white head bob down behind
another ridge of sea-grass on the far side of the nest ;
the bird will have been' watching you for some little
time, and at the slight movement you make in discover-
ing it, will crouch down and run along under shelter
of this ridge, keeping close to the ground. After a
while you may see it looking at you again in the same
cautious way ; perhaps you stand up to see what it will
do to conceal itself, when it runs from the shelter
afforded by the sea-grass in a crouching position, and
takes advantage of the first depression in the sand,
however slight, to lie down and flatten itself out. You
approach it again, when it pursues the same tactics as
before, running a few yards and then hiding in some
footprint or other inequality in the sand. If you
follow it thus to the margin of the shore, it flies for a
few yards as though each beat of the wing would be
its last, and then, seemingly tired of this fooling, it
takes wing with quick and buoyant flight over the water,
describing a half circle, and then alights again on the
shore some two or three hundred yards from you. You
may depend upon it that if you expect these little
Plovers to show you their nest they will not do so.
You may lie down and wait, but they will do the same,
that is to say they will stand patiently waiting some
little distance off, perhaps stretching a wing and gaping,
or hitching up one leg in rather a bored way, and
looking round at you as much as to say " I wish you'd
go " ; but as you do not go, they still remain in the same
place a little while longer, and then run leisurely off to

164 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AP^RICA

feed down by the water's edoe. They feed in a very
quiet manner, turning over the ddbris and dead sea-
grass that the tide has left, looking the while for any
small insects that there may be. They seem to feed
differently to our Ringed Plovers at home, and to take
life altogether in a more sober way. If they find
themselves too far separated, one of them— presumably
the male bird — gives his low cry pii'-rit, which is
answered by the female, when they know that they
are within call of each other, and continue their feeding.
Photographs of these Sand-Plovers were not so
difficult to obtain on the nest, although even that took
considerable time and labour, but I was rather anxious
to get illustrations of the bird standing, and this was a
different matter. It is impossible to obtain a satis-
factory photograph of any of these kinds of birds by
stalking them, you must know exactly where they are
cominir to, and as a difference of three inches from the
place where you are expecting to photograph them
would throw the picture entirely out of focus, the diffi-
culties to be contended with may be imagined. The
illustration of the bird in the act of rising from the eggs
is interesting, as showing the exact position assumed
by these birds which nest on the ground when covering
their ee^s. It was almost miraculous how, time after
time, the eggs escaped being broken. Not unfrequently
a team of oxen would be outspanned near the shore of
the estuary, and these oxen would generally find their
way to this particular stretch of sand, which would
afterwards be trodden all over with hoof-marks, except
perhaps just where the eggs were laid. On one
occasion I saw the oxen lying down all round the sitting

PLATE XLIV

;«5sSA^*v

T^f^.

WHITE-FRONTED SAND-PLOVER, AND NEST IN SEA-GRASS.

TWO KINDS OF PLOVER 1 65

bird, which did not seem perturbed, but sat quietly
enough, as though she was holding a kind of reception.

On the large island, which I have mentioned before,
on which the jetty is built, there are masses of sea-grass
which have been bleached by the sun, and here some
of these White Sand-Plovers showed a striking" example
of adaptability to circumstances by nesting on this dead
grass. We found in all three separate nests thus
placed, and in each case the eggs were laid on the
summit of a mass of grass at an elevation of about a
foot from the ground, so as to be out of reach of the
water at high tide, which at that time often partially
flooded the island. The nests were merely depressions
in the dead grass, lined with little bits of the same
material chopped up very finely ; this must have been
done by the birds themselves. The eggs laid in these
nests were always of a darker shade than those laid
on the white sand, and were a kind of nankin colour,
matching the darker portions of the sea-grass. Those
laid on the sand were almost white, but all were marked
with black specks and dashes. The birds appeared to
run with equal facility on the uneven surface of the sea-
grass as on the smooth sand, but they too knew the
protective value of its colour, and would never run on
the o-reen o-rass.

These little Plovers naturally kept aloof from the
flocks of small waders which frequented the shores of
this island, for the ground that effectually concealed
the latter, would only serve to show up the whereabouts
of the former birds. A great proportion of the wading
birds to be found on the estuary were only there as
visitors ; one exception to this rule being the Kittlitz's

1 66 SOME r.IRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

Sand-Plovers, which I think out-numbered any of the
others. These birds would start up from the half-
flooded ground, having concealed themselves from view
by the margins of the small pools and in the slight un-
evenness afforded by the ground. Kittlitz's Plovers
bred in great numbers about Knysna, always in the
neighbourhood of water, but they were more of an
inland breeding species than the White Sand- Plovers,
and were not generally seen on the sea-shore. These
Plovers, when put up from their feeding grounds, utter
a low note resembling the syllables to-ivhit as they
fly off, to settle again shortly.

The nesting habit of these birds is perhaps their
most remarkable feature, and v.'ithout being acquainted
with this peculiarity one might search in vain for their
nests. The ground on which they lay their eggs is
sometimes covered with short grass, but more often
waste pieces of land are chosen, on which grows such
scant vegetation as mav be found on o-round which is
occasionally flooded with brackish water. The only
way to find the eggs of these Plovers is to watch the
birds themselves very carefully. Suppose a bird to be
marked down to its nest, and to remain in such a
position that you are quite sure it is sitting, you get
up and go to the spot, keeping your eyes carefully on
the place all the time ; when you arrive there, no trace
of any nest is to be found, although you know the exact
spot from which the bird rose. I am afraid you will
not derive much assistance from the bird itself, for it
will probably be standing a few yards away from you,
o-ivino- now and then a stiff little bow similar to the
one given by the White Sand- Plover ; if you turn your

PLATE XLV,

-^?0^^

t-"~;

KITTLITZ'S SAND-PLOVER AND YOUNG.

(J^giaiitis pecuaria.)
G" 0'"

TWO KINDS OF I'LOVER 1 67

attention to the bird it will run leisurely a few yards
further on and then give another little bow, or duck of
the head. This may be all very well, but it does not
help you to find the eggs, so, after making quite sure
that there is no semblance of a nest you again retire
a little distance to enable you to solve the mystery.
The bird soon returns to the same spot, shuffles for a
second or two very quickly with its feet, and then sits
down. This time you make no mistake about the
exact place, and you locate the position of the bird
with the aid of two little bits of herbao-e grrowintr near ;
again you approach, the bird rises as before, and repeats
the same performance, standing a little way off, and
looking as though it would help you if it could, and
if you would only tell it what you were looking for.
The ground is quite undisturbed, and there is no sign
of a nest or eggs ; the little bits of drift-wood and bark,
though, which lie between your feet are loose, and the
earth underneath them is loose also, and then you feel
beneath the loose earth and there are two eggs ! The
bird need not have taken so much trouble to hide
them, for they are just the colour of the earth itself,
being about the size and shape of a Snipe's egg. The
bird does not seem to mind your having found the eggs,
she stands a few yards away, looking towards the river
and bowing every now and then in a rather absent
manner. If you had time to wait, you would see that
at her leisure she collected such little odds and ends
as she thought would be useful to her in concealing her
eggs, so that on the approach of any one she might not
be hurried when covering them up. After these little
pieces of bark and suchlike niaterials are placed over

l68 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

the egos the bird further conceals them by scraping
very quickly with one foot on each side of the nest, thus
covering the whole with dust, and presenting an even
texture with the surrounding- oround. Two or three of
these kicks were quite enough, if she were hurried, to
conceal the eggs, which were already placed in a hollow
in the earth. The illustration at the foot of plate 45 I
have inserted with a view of showing exactly how these
birds uncover their eggs ; the bird's right foot had just
swept some of the covering from above the eggs when
the photograph was taken. I have often known to a
yard where the eggs were, and yet been unable to find
them, so skilfully were they concealed.

Other ground that was a favourite nesting place of
these birds was that on which patches of dead weed had
been left, here and there, by some exceptionally high
tide and then bleached by the sun ; small pieces of
this weed were then utilised by the birds, forming an
effective covering for their eggs. They were \ery fond
also of oround on which rubbish had been thrown,
and would display a remarkable amount of sagacity in
selecting materials as covering for their eggs which
were in harmony with the surroundings ; in one
instance, I remember, the nest was placed on a per-
fectly bare piece of ground which was strewn w ith old
kettles, scraps of iron, and bits of crockery, portions of
which 'w-ere collected together and utilised to conceal
"the eggs.

Kittlitz's Plover never appears to lay more than two
eggs, nor did any of the Plovers whose nests we found.
The South African birds as a rule lay a less number
of eggs than the P^nglish birds do, and we noticed that

PLATE XLVI.

NEST OF KITTLITZ'S SAND-PLOVER COVERED UP.

NEST OF KITTLITZ'S SAND-PLOVER SHEWING EGGS.

TWO KINDS OF PLOVER 169

the shells were very brittle, the smaller eggs frequently
breaking in one's hand without sufficient reason.

The eggs of Kittlitz's Plovers seem to escape being
broken in a marvellous way, especially when one con-
siders that the ground selected for a nesting- site is
often some piece of waste land, well traversed by both
man and beast. One day I walked up to a nest that
I knew of, and found an ox lying down on the nest
itself, while the Plover was running round the animal
in a rather ludicrous manner, frequently stopping and
bowing ; the ox took no notice whatever of these little
acts of politeness, but calmly continued chewing the
cud. When I drove it off the nest I found that one of
the eggs was completely broken, but that the other one
was quite intact.

The young of these birds are very difficult to find,
as they hide themselves in any bit of cover that may be
at hand, and do not move unless called up by the
parent birds. They run with great speed, faster indeed
than the old birds do, their legs looking very long and
stilt-like. 1 found it impossible to photograph them
except in a crouching position, for, once on their legs
they would never stand, but would run as hard as they
could. The old birds will feign lameness when they
have young, but I never saw them do so when they
had eggs ; perhaps they consider the latter sufficiently
concealed without any further devices. When feigning
disablement they fly for a few yards in a very limp sort
of way, and then come to the ground, spreading out
one wing as though to show how helpless they are, and
when the)' are approached they go through the same
performance again, beating the apparently useless wing

I 70 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

upon the g-round, in this way luring- you from their
young ones.

The town of Knysna itself stands nearly opposite
the Heads, but there is a broad expanse of water, at
least two miles in width, separating the two places. On
either side of the Heads is a low ridge of hills, which,
sloping down on the landward side, ends abruptly as it
faces the sea, and forms the cliffs which guard the
coast. To reach the Heads from Knysna in any way
other than by water, it is necessary to follow the road
which skirts the estuary on its left bank, thus making a
considerable ddtour. While driving along this road,
one or two farms are passed through in which Ostriches
are bred ; these birds will sometimes stray on to the
road and run along in front of the cart for some little
distance, their heavy bodies seeming too weighty for
their comparatively slender legs. They have an odd
way of turning their small heads from side to side as
they run, looking back at the cart which follows them.
The male Ostriches are occasionally very savage in the
breeding- season, a kick from one of these birds, which
is delivered in front, and not behind, being sometimes
fatal. When I was staying with Mr. R., in the neigh-
bourhood of the Knysna Lakes, he told me that his
nurse was out one day with one of his young children
on the farm, when an Ostrich attacked her ; fortunately
she was used to their ways, and threw the child into a
thick bush while she herself called out for help and took
refuge in a similar situation. Out in the open, it would
have been a serious matter for both her and the child,
the only thing to do in such a case, being to lie down
flat on the ground, when the Ostrich will trample on

TWO KINDS OF PLOVER I7I

you, but cannot get at you so as to kick, that being its
most dangerous form of attack. One often hears of the
"digestion of an Ostrich," as a matter of fact they are,
I believe, very deHcate birds, requiring constant care
and attention. A prolonged drought, which in any way
affects their supply of food, causes them to fall out of
condition in a very short time. The Ostrich industry
still seems to pay, and is largely cultivated in many
districts in the Colony.

After these farms are passed through, the road
leading to the Knysna Heads continues along a flat tract
of land scarcely raised above the level of the estuary
itself, the latter being on the right hand side of the road,
and an extensive piece of low-lying ground, known as
Horn's Marshes on the left. These marshes are almost
impenetrable towards the centre, being composed of
thick rushes and aquatic vegetation, beneath which lie
three or four feet of water and soft mud, and here on
a November morning^ during the breeclinof season the
metallic bleat of the Snipe may often be heard as the
bird descends towards the marshy ground from a great
height in the air, rising after each descent, to fall again.
The late Mr. L. C. Layard in his comprehensive work
on South African birds, says that in the far interior the
noise made by these birds, well known in England by the
name of " drumming," has earned for them the title
of Spook Vogel, or Ghost-bird, by the Boers. This
would seem to be originated by the bird occasionally
drumming on moonlight nights, sometimes as late as
midnight. We saw a few Harriers sailing over this
marsh, just clearing the tops of the reeds, into which
they would now and then drop down ; doubtless some

1/2 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

of them were nesting in the thicker and more secluded
parts.

The bushes which mari^ined the edges of this swamp
were rather favourite nesting places for the Malachite
Sun-birds, which would occasionally take long flights
over the reeds in search of insects with which to feed
their young ones. The j)lumage of the male bird
glittered very conspicuously in the bright sunlight, and
he seemed to do most of the foraging, being no sooner
back from one expedition than he started off on another.
This marsh was the outcome of a small tidal backwater
which flowed out of the main estuary, the backwater itself
consisting of a clear stream with grass banks on either
side ; between this stream and the estuary was some
dry waste land on which many of the Kittlitz's Plovers
used to nest.

The Greenshanks also were very fond of frequenting
this stream, as well as flocks of Wood Sandpipers,
both of which species showed up pleasingly towards
evening, when the sun was low, and their partially white
plumage was emphasised and reflected in the clear
water beneath them. I tried, two or three times, to
obtain a photograph of these birds as thus described,
but to do so was almost impossible ; quite apart from the
fact of their being so very wary, it would have been
necessary to take them with a short-focus lens in order
to ensure the birds being all in focus, and this would
have meant that the camera would have to be within
about a yard of the birds themselves, if they were to be
represented in anything but microscopic form. I. suc-
ceeded in photographing a single Greenshank with its
reflexion in the water, but even that was hardly large

TWO KINDS OF PLOVER 1 73

enouo^h to be worth reproducing. The Greenshanks
are very restless feeders, runnino- about in the water,
here, there, and everywhere. While I was waiting to
take the photograph of the Greenshank alluded to
above, I saw a Snipe come leisurely out of the rushes
on the opposite side of the stream, and walk in a
clumsy way to the waters edge. The bird looked very
lethargic in its movements when compared with the
agility of the Greenshanks, and seemed to carry its long
bill as though it were too heavy for its head ; after
prodding about on the bank of the stream for a minute
or so it betook itself back to the seclusion of the rushes.
It seemed difficult to believe that this was the same bird
we had seen but a day or two before showing off its
powerful flight above the marsh. Occasionally the
sharp /// of the Pied Kingfisher would attract our
attention as he hovered over the stream, although this
was rather out of his usual beat, and he would have to
return a long way over the estuary to reach his home
on the Salt River,

As in many i)arts of England, no bird showed itself
more frequently on rough uncultivated ground than
the Stone-chat. The South African Stone-chat is very
similar in plumage, as in its nesting habits, to the bird
with which we are familiar at home, and where there
are a pair of these birds about, very little searching is
required to find them. Bontroche, the Dutch Colonists
call this bird, which means parti-coloured, the name
applying evidently to the male bird alone, for the female,
like that of the bird with which we are familiar in
England, is soberly coloured. The male bird, figured
in the illustration on plate 47, had a caterpillar in its

174 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

beak at the time the photograph was taken. Like all
Stone-chats, these birds are fond of perching" on the
topmost spray of some low bush, or plant, whence their
familiar note may often be heard ; they were generally
to be met with on the open hills, but a few of them
might be found on any Sufficiently dry ground near the
estuary.

In one of the bit>" trees which o-rew here and there
on the banks of this stream, there had been a Hammer-
kop's nest, but someone had pulled it down recently,
the <rround at the foot of the tree beino- littered with
sticks, of which the nest had been constructed ; these
sticks would certainly liave filled a small hand-cart.
As we drove home in the evening we passed one of
these birds, feeding in his solitary way.

We spent Christmas at Knysna, doing our best to
keep up the traditions of the old country, and were
even able to dispense a little ill-deserved charity in the
shape of a Christmas-box to our sometinie guide Uavid,
which this youth demanded with great assurance ;
previously to this we had seen nothing of him for some
weeks. New Year's Day is always a great day at
Knysna, everybody taking a holiday ; the black people
especially seem to give themselves up to enjoyment,
the boys playing cricket, the girls playing concertinas,
and the old people watching them and gossiping, as
they sit about on the ground. To wind up with, at
nioj^ht there is a t>Tand coloured ball, to which thev all
appear to go. Shordy before seven o'clock on this
same New Year's Day, David slowly sauntered up to
the door of our hotel and said that he wished to speak
to one of us. Knowin<>- that we were shortlv to leave

PLATE XLVII.

SOUTH AFRICAN STONE-CHAT.

(Pratincola torqiiata.)
5" 6'"

Fig. 1. — Male. Fig. 2. — Female. Fig. 3. — Young.

PLATE XLVIII.

SOUTH AFRICAN STONE-CHAT ON NEST.

(FEMALE.)

TWO KINDS OF PLOVER 1/5

Knysna, and apparently regretting his previous be-
haviour, it appeared that he had been doing a Httle
nest-hunting on his own account and had succeeded in
finding the nest of a rather rare Woodpecker, which he
told us had laid two black eggs in a hole in a tree ; the
bird itself, from his representation, was a most brilliant
creation, possessing apparently all the colours of the
rainbow. His description of this bird aroused our
interest, and we made an appointment with him, so that
he should call for us at such and such a time on the
followinsf morninpf. " How far was it"? we asked him,
" Oh, not so far," he replied in his characteristic manner.
I could not quite make him out, he seemed better pleased
with himself than usual, and was quite smartened up.
He had not left us more than two or three minutes
when he returned to the door and said he wanted to
speak to us again. It seemed this time he had come
to tell us that the coloured ball was to be held that
night, and he was very anxious to attend it, but the
fact was he happened to have no money in his pocket,
and as he could not go to the ball without money he
wanted to know if we would advance him the shillinof
or two that he would have earned by showing us this
nest, to enable him to go. With our previous expe-
rience of him we ought perhaps not to have yielded to
his persuasions, but we decided to risk being imposed
upon rather than deprive him of the evening's enjoy-
ment, so with assurances that he would come at the
appointed hour, he departed. Ten o'clock on the fol-
lowing morning arrived, but no David ; however, it was
early yet ; but when eleven o'clock came and still there
was no sign of him we began to wonder. Possi^^ly he

1/6 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

was takino- an extra hour or so in bed after the exertions
of the ball, so we would give him a little lont^er. Still
he failed to put in an appearance, and the affair now
began to appear in its true light, We had evidently
been "done," and no one likes to be "done." A great
indignation began to make itself felt within us at his
perfidy, so putting aside our ordinary occupations for
the day, we gave ourselves up to revenge. We com-
posed, with many flourishes and legal terms, a lengthy
document, which, when finished and sealed with the
lid of a tobacco tin, had a distinctly legal smack ;
this became the more apparent as we found on going
through it that we were at a loss to understand it when
completed. This form we left at the hotel, and then
sallied forth, filled with revengeful thoughts.

There were but few people about, owing probably
to the dissipations of the previous night, but near the
shore of the river we came across a small urchin whom
we addressed with the object of finding out the residence
of the untruthful one. The small urchin at first seemed
doubtful as to whether he should divulge the secret,
but with the promise of a tickey — the Colonial word
for threepence — he agreed to take us to the place.
We had a little way to go, up a hill and through a path
in the woods, but in due time we were shown a reed-
built hut, situated in a small clearing in the bush,
which we were told was the residence of Mr. David
"Woodman." Here our small black guide left us,
evidently unwilling to be detected in the character of a
spy, so we approached the dwelling alone. A curl ot
blue smoke was ascending from the hut, and altogether
the sylvan surroundings of the place seemed ill in keeping

TWO KINDS OF PLOVER 177

with one possessed of so much guile. The only "note"
wanting to complete this peaceful scene was the presence
of his mother, whom we found engaged in some light
occupation outside the door of the hut. We asked her
if Mr. David "Woodman" was at home, but were in-
formed that he was away m the town. So we intimated
to her that unless her son returned the two shillings
which he had obtained from us on false pretences by
seven o'clock that nio-ht, we should have him locked
up. " I have a warrant for his arrest at home," I
added, in a slightly deeper voice. The woman seemed
to brighten up considerably at this last piece of news,
and it really looked as though she would be glad to
have him put aside for a time, but as that was her
affair and not ours, we left her. Loss of dignity is
always one of the most trying of the lighter misfortunes
to bear, and our friends, to whom we showed the
document before referred to, were rude enough to point
out that the warrants for arrest were always printed on
blue paper, while ours was on white, consequently the
boy, whom we proposed threatening with the document,
would see at a crlance that this was not official.
Seven o'clock arrived, and as we were sitting down
to dinner, a small brown hand was inserted into the
room through the open window, and a two-shilling-
piece was placed on the window-sill ; the small brown
hand was then withdrawn, and the emissary of the
guileful one ran down the road at top speed. This
boy must not be taken by any means as a specimen
of Cape boys, he was a specially bad lot, and it was
unfortunate that we should have happened on him ;
I do not suppose anything but the threat of imprison-

12

178 SOMK lilRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

ment would have persuaded him t(j yield up his ill-
gotten gains, but the natives have a wholesome horn^r
of the jail, or Ironk, as they call it.

If there are many difficulties in the way of reaching
Kynsna, the facilities for leaving the neighbourhood
are indeed few, and the visitor to these districts must
make up his mind beforehand to the probability of
delay in getting away. We had decided to go on to
Port Elizabeth, but as the only two boats which call
at that port are cargo boats carrying wood from the
forest, and study but little the convenience of passengers,
it will be seen that these latter are dependent for
transport on the uncertain demand of the timber trade.
We could of course have hired a Cape cart and driven
to Port Elizabeth, a distance of about two hundred
miles, but even this arrangement would not have
sufficed to convey our luggage, which was necessarily
of considerable bulk. We had therefore nothing to do
but wait until one of the boats before mentioned was
going eastward, which we found would be early in
January.

We had heard many and varied accounts of the
boat that was to take us, and had seen her often as she
lay alongside the small jetty near the town, where,
as viewed over the low-lying ground and mud-banks of
the estuary, she looked a veritable leviathan. True,
she had the berth all to herself, and was not placed at
an undue disadvantage by comparison with other vessels
of perhaps five or ten times her tonnage. That she
was a good sea boat, however, everyone admitted.
We were to sail in the afternoon, and as the departure
of one of the boats is always an event that collects a

TWO KINDS OF PLOVER 1 79

crowd at Knysna, we found a goodly number of people
assembled when we reached the vessel. The pilot
came on board in due time, when it might reasonably
have been expected that we should make a start, but it
appeared from signals which were put up at the Heads,
that the bar was not in a condition for us to pass. This
entailed a delay of nearly two hours, during which we
had time to observe the culinary arts as practised by a
Chinaman who went by the name of " Ah Sin," and who
was an important personage on board, to wit, the cook.
"Ah Sin" prepared the dinner in a small kitchen on
deck, going about his business in a very workman-like
manner, and beinsf in nowise disconcerted or flurried
by the inquisitiveness of either the passengers or their
friends who had come to see them off. When we went
down to dinner we were rather surprised to see him
standing at the head of the small table in the saloon,
dispensing curry to the assembled guests, his pigtail
being neatly curled round the top of his head. He
seemed very much at his ease.

After a long delay, flags were at length put up
at the Heads signalling that we might now start.
Although the estuary is of such width, varying from
one to two miles in places, yet there is only a narrow
channel along which a vessel of any size may go, but
the pilot's duty being to know this channel, we natur-
ally steamed along without mishap of any sort ; first
across the open water of the estuary, and then following
the deep channel which winds along beneath a high
bank overgrown with bush and scrub. This bank leads
us up to the narrow gateway of the Heads, and here,
just before the vessel begins to plunge and duck pre-

l8o SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

paratory to crossing- the bar, the pilot quietly slips
overboard and drops into his small boat. In less time
than it takes to tell these few words he is fifty yards
astern, thus taking part in as pretty a closing scene as
one could wish for.

PLATE XLIX.

PENGUINS.

(ST. CROIX ISLAND, ALGOA BAY.)

I«I

CHAPTER VI.
Bird Island and Saint Croix.

A S seen from the deck of the incoming steamer, Port
^^^ EHzabeth cannot be said to present a very pre-
possessmg appearance. Somehow one misses those
odds and ends of buildings and low sheds that have
become so associated in the mind with the idea of a
port, or harbour, and however undesirable this collec-
tion of nondescript architecture may be at close quarters,
it cannot be denied that the traveller expects, and has
a right to expect, something less solid and respectable-
looking than the massive stone buildmgs which here
almost overhang the sea itself There are no old houses
in Port Elizabeth to form a link with the past, and as
though to dispel at once any idea of the picturesque,
the electric cars which climb the steep ascent of one
of its principal thoroughfares are plainly visible from
the ship which lies at anchor, perhaps a mile or a mile
and a half out to sea.

If I were asked what my impression of Port Elizabeth
was, I think I should describe the town as one represent-
ing solid commercial prosperity. Its public buildings,
its warehouses, its shops, and even its private residences
all told the same tale. "We were built," they seemed
to say, " by plain, hard-working men, men who had
made their own living, and who had left the old country

1 82 SOMK lUkDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

in early life with but little in their pockets ; can you
blame them, then, if they have fashioned us to represent
what they lacked most at home, and came all these
miles to seek " ? These men left the old country, too,
at a time when people were not expected to live up to
their wealth as they are now, and when a plain man
and a plain house were often backed up by a long- purse.
And so these merchants when they retire, or perhaps
I should say when they slacken their hold on business
through advancing age, do so in a solid, substantial way,
building large stone houses, more or less a replica of
their place of business, in the suburbs of Port Elizabeth.
They grumble of course at the times, as every healthy
merchant should, but there is a suspicious twinkle in
the eye as they go on their way that sets one thinking".
Few of them retire in the way that we understand the
word at home, for what occupations would they have if
they did so ? South Africa does not seem to be in
harmony with retired men, its chief sports and pastimes
are for the young, and it may be that the " bit of
shooting " which often solaces the later years of the
retired business man in the old country, has come with
too grim an earnestness at the other end of life to some
of the South African business men of long standing in
the Colony. No, the only pastime for them would be
to oo down to the warehouse or office, and watch others
do what they themselves had done for so many years
before, but then the spice would be out of it, and we
all know what the spice is.

Port Elizabeth has no harbour, unless the broad
expanse of Algoa Bay can be called such, but if the
town as viewed from the sea looks plain and uninterest-

BIRD ISLAND AND SAINT CROIX 153

inj^', the same cannot be said of the sea as viewed from
the town. Here is the real Hfe of the place. The
crowded jetties, with their trains passing up and down
carrying merchandise, the clumsy-looking lighters bring-
ing cargo from the ships, and being loaded and unloaded
by means of large cranes that stand along either side
of the jetties, together with the Malays wearing their
brightly-coloured turbans, all go to make up a brilliant
picture of commercial life. Then there is the se
through which all this turmoil and busy life has to be
carried on. The south-east wind is the prevailing wind
at Port Elizabeth, and you may see it pull the water
up in a surprisingly short space of time, making things
uncomfortable for the various ships lying at anchor.

Here there is no crowd of shipping, there is plenty
of room for all, and each vessel gives its neighbour a
wide berth. The big liners get the swell first, a mile
or so out, standing steady as a rock ; then the smaller
steamboats, " tramps," and one or two quaint-looking
sailing ships ; these soon grow uneasy under the rising
swell and rock from side to side to an alarming degree^
while nearest the shore, on a line with the end of the
jetties, are moored rows of empty lighters, which heave
clumsily over the rollers, punching each other in the
ribs if perchance they should be fastened too closely
together. But the connecting life of the whole picture
is the admirable service of tugs, without which little
work could be carried on. It would be hard to find
better tugs anywhere, or better men at the helm.
Thoroughly up to date and serviceable, they yet
looked extremely picturesque as they scurried along
in almost any sort of weather, dragging behind them

184 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

empty lighters and taking- back full ones, or vice versa.
There was no time lost with them, returned from one
ship, they would hitch on to the empty lighters which
were heaving with the swell alongside the jetty and
nosing against its pillars like lazy fish, and before these
old hulks fairly knew what was happening they would
be jerked forward by the busy tug, in a most sum-
mary and undignified manner. When they had been
towed perhaps a hundred yards or so out to sea, and
realised fully the indignity put upon them, they would
take advantage of a temporary standstill in the tug's
progress while it steamed bravely over the crest of
a wave, to make an ill-natured dig at its stern, which
the tug always managed skilfully to evade ; tug and
lighter were soon intermittently lost to view amid the
large dull-green rollers.

I was rather amused one evening about sunset, when
the sea happened to be calm, to see these same lighters,
apparendy so helpless during the daytime, don brown-
coloured sails and do a little cruisino- on their own
account. The smart-looking tugs had been anchored
for the night, and there were some half-dozen of these
clumsy boats spreading their wings like moths at twi-
light, and seemingly continuing the day's work in a
mild and leisurely way. The sea though, as I have
said, was reasonably calm, or doubtless the lighters
would not have been allowed out by themselves.

Sometimes a gunboat would come into the Bay,
taking her place among the large liners which formed
the outer row of vessels, and at night she would practise
with her searchlight, turning it first on to one ship and
then on to another, afterwards flashing it up to one of

BIRD ISLAND AND SAINT CROIX 1 85

the houses in the town. I remember seeing it turned
on to one of the old-fashioned white saihng- ships that
lay at anchor in the Bay ; this ship seemed to resent
the liberty, and shifted uneasily from side to side under
the brilliant light ; perhaps a hundred years ago she
might have carried cargo that would not have borne
such scrutiny, who knows ? At any rate she rolled
heavily on the sw^ell as the light still played on her, and
when it shifted rapidly, to centre itself on some other
object, the white vessel sank into oblivion.

Somehow the sea at Port Elizabeth always gave
one the idea of an immense amount of latent power.
It was not always rough, but even on comparatively
calm days, at high tide the water would come swing-
ing past the end of the jetty in rather a choppy way,
and when it reached the solid wall of masonry that
guarded the railway station on the one side of the jetty
and the large block of public buildings on the other,
it would lurch in a very casual manner against this wall,
sending a shower of spray over some empty trucks
which were standing on the line. This was only done
in a lazy way, and was a very poor example of what
the sea could do when driven before the south-east
wind.

The largest tug at Port Elizabeth was named the
Si7' Frederic. They were all good sea boats, but I
suppose the Sir Frederic could be trusted out in almost
any weather. This boat it was that carried oil and
stores to the lighthouse at Bird Island every month,
a distance of some thirty-five miles, more or less. Bird
Island is the largest of a group of small islands which
lie at the mouth of Algoa Bay, practically in the

1 86 SOME I5IKDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

open sea, cind a j^ood lighthouse is here a necessity,
where the waves dash aj^ainst the rocks with a con-
tinuous roar.

I was rather anxious to go to Bird Island ; not that
I anticipated much pleasure from the voyage itself, but
because I knew that if I were lucky enough to happen
on a day when it was at all calm, I could get some good
photographs of the Gannets, which resort to this island
every year in countless thousands to breed. Conse-
quently I set about making enquiries.

Major Blank, I was told, was the only man who
could give me leave to go there, accordingly I tried to
find Major Blank. There are some men who are easily
accessible, while others seem to do all they can to put
stumbling blocks in one's way and to surround their
whereabouts with profound mystery ; of the latter class
of men was Major I)lank. I think I need hardly enter
into a description of my search after the Major, who
concealed himself in a very small room in the centre of
an immense block of buildings, which seemed to contain
endless staircases and endless small doors, over which
were written almost every name one could think of
except " Blank." It will be enough to say that after
roaming about for half an hour in these buildings, I had
not only failed to discover the whereabouts of Major
Blank, but had also succeeded in losing myself. I began
to class him as a sort of human Ilammerkop, for like
that mysterious bird, his home, though very much in
evidence, was exceedingly difficult to get into. y\t
length I met someone who offered to put me on the
right track, and I fcjrthwith fcjund myself in the desired
room. The Major was writing with a scratchy quill

BIRD ISLAND AND SAINT CROIX 1 8/

pen at his desk, nor did he discontinue this opera-
tion until some considerable awe of the presence that
I had ventured into was instilled into my mind. I
told him what I had come for, and when he had huninied
and hawed for some minutes he asked me to call again
on Tuesday morning, Tuesday morning arrived, and
I called aofain, and asked him if he would mvc me a
pass to go to Bird Island on the following day in the
tug. He replied in a cheerful voice, that I was too late.

" Too late " ? I said. " 1 thought you told me to
call on Tuesday morning " ?

"At nine o'clock," said the Major in an impressive
voice.

Now I knew that he had not mentioned any time,
and was just going to tell him so when 1 thought
better of it and agreed with him, deprecating my own
stupidity. I think this rather took the wind out of
his sails, for he evidently expected me to argue the
case with him, and was preparing to enjoy himself and
my discomfiture at the same time.

" I ne\er allow more than five persons to go," he
said, "and five have alread)' applied," pointing to a
little heap ()( half-sovereigns that lay on his desk in
front of him.

"Then I shall not be able to go .^ " I said.

The Major pushed away his inkstand and the little
pile of half-sovereigns, then laid down his pen and leaned
back in his chair, as though to give himself plenty of
space in which to alter his decision without loss of
dignity. After a pause he said, " You will have to pay
ten shillings to the Sailors' Widows and Orphans
Fund."

155 SOME lilRDS OK SOUTH AFRICA

I expressed my willingness to do so.

Then he continued, " What anyone wants to go to
these islands for, I don't know ! They're ill all th(^ way
there and all the way back, and sometimes they can't
land at all. However, some people never seem to know
when they're well off." He went on in this strain some
little while long-er before he signed and handed me an
order without which the lighthouse keeper would not
allow me to land. Afterwards he became quite friendly,
showing me the different islands on a chart and telling-
me their names, until he suddenly pulled himself up
and dismissed me, as though he felt that such an un-
approachable representative of the Harbour Buildings
as he was, had no right to be conversing on familiar
terms with a mere person.

"Could I land on Seal Island.^" I asked him, as I
left.

"I've never landed on Seal Island," he replied in
an austere and rather hurt voice.

That settled the matter.

The evening was not a promising one, from a
weather point of view, but the sea gets up and goes
down at Port Elizabeth in such a short time that even
the most weatherwise of the old hands on the jetty,
and there are many such, were sometimes at fault.
I manageci to get an early breakfast, and was down at
the appointed, and unusual hour for me, six o'clock.
The wind had shifted in the night, from south-east to
north-west, and it was blowing fairly hard from the
latter quarter, but as this meant a wind from the land,
it seemed to be the opinion of those best able to judge
that we should have a quiet sea. The large rollers,

BIRD ISLAND AND SAINT CROIX 1 89

SO accustomed in their impetuous way to clash them-
selves against the solid wall that guards the town, were
stopped by the opposing wind and flattened out, as it
were, before they could expend themselves.

We started after a delay of about half an hour,
steaming our way past the lighters and various ships
lying at anchor until we were hailed, after going
perhaps a mile, by a large vessel, the captain of which
required us to give his boat a shift round so as to alter
her position slightly.

Now that we were out of reach of the shelter
afforded by the low hills along the face of which Port
Elizabeth is built, we beran to realise that the wind,
although coming from the land, was rapidly increasing
in force, and while the captain of the Sir Frederic
was making fast the cable which the big vessel had
thrown out, it was all he could do to understand the
shouted instructions of the captain of the latter. More
than he could do in fact, for after steaming at the end
of the cable for at least half an hour, during which time
both captains were rapidly losing their tempers, the
thick rope parted, and we found ourselves free.

Meanwhile, we who w^ere not engaged in losing our
tempers had leisure to observe the weather. The wind
had increased, and was increasing every minute, until
it now whistled past us, dashing salt spray into our faces
with a cold slap, and the sea, which was to have been so
calm, was being rapidly beaten up with the north-westerly
gale. The wind seemed literally to tear the water off
the choppy waves and hurl it at us, and then race past
laden with white scuds.

Our captain now began to observe the weather too.

190 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

" That's a lucky delay for us," he said. " Once started,
and nothing on earth would have turned me back, but
blank me if I like the look of the weather." I said I
thought the north-west wind beat the sea down. He
laughed, and replied, "So it does, if there's a south-east
wind blowino- at the same time, but ei""ht or ten miles
out there'll be quite as much hullaballoo on as with a
south-easter. No, I'll go to back to the jetty, and if
they say 'go' I'll go, if we have to hang about the
island a week before we can land. It aint often I turn
back neither." The upshot of it was that we were to
start at seven o'clock on the following morning, weather
permitting.

The gale continued all clay, but next morning when
we met on the jetty we found that the wind had gone
down, and with it the sea. There w^as now only a big
glassy swell, with the wind still in the same quarter.
This looked more promising, and we made a start
without delay. Port Elizabeth and the shipping were
soon lost sio-ht of, and we then had a long: steam with
only the distant coast comprised of low sand-hills in
sight, which forms the north-eastern boundary of Algoa
Bay.

There were not many birds to be seen during the
voyage, although as we got further out Gannets might
be observed sailing over the sea, sometimes single birds,
sometimes in flocks, one of them every now and then
dropping like a stone into the water beneath. I re-
member watching a Gannet keeping level with us for
miles and miles when going round the coast in the
Carisbrook Castle — one of the best mail boats and
doing exceptionally fast time — the Gannet just flew

BIRD ISLAND AND SAINT CROIX I9I

along at its every-day pace, easily keeping abreast of
us. I do not think there is any breeding station of the
Ma/agask, as these birds are called, round the south
coast of Africa with the exception of Bird Island.
These Gannets must demand a heavy toll from the
fishermen, for they are to be met with all along the
coast, certainly as far as Cape Town, where they are
to be seen often about the harbour.

We had a very uneventful voyage to Bird Island ;
the captain and mate having little to do as regards
navigation, sat idly side by side behind the wheel. I
think they found time hang heavily on their hands,
until they came to a difference of opinion with regard
to another tug that was steaming along some four or
five miles distant from us, but rather hugging the shore.
They disagreed as to whether this boat was going faster
than we were or slower, and the question was warmly
discussed between them for two hours, with occasional
short intervals. Probably the mate was right, because
the captain rather lost his temper in a friendly way,
and ended the discussion by giving the mate an un-
necessarily vigorous slap on the shoulder to send home
some final argument before he went down below ; the
mate naturally was unable to reply, verbally or other-
wise, being tied to his post at the wheel.

In due time we sicrhted the Bird Island Liohthouse,
standing up out of the sea and looking in the distance
no thicker than a needle. We were certainly fortunate
as regards the weather, for the sea had now settled
down to a smooth undulating swell, across which our
boat travelled steadily enough. Traces of the storm
of the previous day were, however, to be noticed in the

192 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

large rings of dirty- white foam that we passed now and
again. As we neared the islands Gannets became
more numerous, while occasionally a buoyant Penguin,
turning its striped head from side to side, dived at our
approach.

The first island that we passed was Seal Island,
and though we were not within half a mile of it, we
could hear, above the roar of the surf, the bellowing of
the sea-lions, at which noise the captain became greatly
excited. " See that old feller on top of the rock there,
with the yellow mane?" he said. "That's 'Ginger.'
We always call him ' Ginger ' because of the colour of
his mane. He's been there as lono- as I can remember.
Yah ! you old brute you," and he shook his fist at him.

On the next island there were a few Duykers (Cor-
morants) of different kinds, and it was here that the sea-
lions used to live, but owing to sailors occasionally
landing, they removed to the more isolated rocks.
Gannets were sailing round the far side of the largest
island, on which stands the lighthouse, but we had not
yet come within sight of perhaps one of the most extra-
ordinary crowds of bird life that is to be met with.

We rounded the north end of Bird Island first, and
then, close to the lighthouse, and covering quite an acre
and a half of ground, were to be seen thousands of Cape
Gannets. The ground was white with the birds them-
selves, while above them in the air, a kind of kaleido-
scopic effect was produced by the ever-moving wings.
Among a crowd of birds so thickly packed together as
these Gannets were, one naturally wonders if it is pos-
sible for them to keep to their own eggs ; perhaps each
bird recognises its own special place from the position of

PLATE LI.

PENGUINS.

>-

<

w

m

H

<

LU

o

z
z

o

_l
<

<

o

d

z

HI

<

Q.

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o

Q

BIRD ISLAND AND SAINT CROIX 1 93

its neighbour, otherwise it would appear impossible for
each to return to its separate place among- such thou-
sands of birds. After all, I daresay they wonder how
we, who are all so much alike to them, are able to dis-
tinofuish one another in a crowd, and how we are able to
find our own homes. The men at the lighthouse say
that these birds arrive in a mass at this, their breeding
station, and that when the season is finished the island
is untenanted as to bird life until the following year.

The spectacle was not so imposing as that presented
by the Gannets on the Bass Rock in Scotland, where
the birds, as seen from a distance, have the appearance
of bees swarming round a hive. Here the birds were
shown horizontally instead of vertically ; still, it was an
imposing sight, and in the distance had the effect of
a laree extent of orround covered with white flies.

The weather had improved steadily during the day,
and although clouds of white spray could be seen on
the sides of the island which faced the open sea, we
were told that this was the calmest effect that could
be produced here. Our tug was anchored some quarter
of a mile off Bird Island, about half of our small number
of passengers going ashore, while the others preferred
to remain on the tug to try their luck at fishing.
Landing was effected without much difficulty, but the
seaweed which covered the rocks made the first few
steps very difficult, laden as I was with two large
cameras and about twenty dark-slides. Before setting
to work, I thought it would be well to ask our skipper
how lono- he could oive me ; he told me that he would
wait for three hours, so I anticipated having plenty
of time, although the more one takes of this kind ot

13

194 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

photograph, the more one finds that each one requires
carefully considering before being taken ; there are so
many things that fight against success.

The day was perfect, with very little wind and a
brilliant sun, so I started to try and do the best I
could on the most important subject, the large crowd
of Gannets before alluded to. They were tame enough,
but it was difficult to choose a time when the birds
nearest to me were not taking wing, and at the same
time when the flying birds were not sailing by at too
close a distance, which would have resulted in a blurred
image, and spoilt the group, I noticed that the birds
which flew up from the ground had some difficulty in
rising, and used their feet for a short time, kicking off
against the ground to enable them to rise the more
easily. The air resounded with their harsh cry, Carra-
Cai'i'a. It was quite impossible to include more than
about a third of the whole group of birds in one plate,
unless I had shown them very much smaller than they
are reproduced on plate 21.

To expose eight half plates on this subject occupied
a considerable time, and I then began taking some odd
groups of birds, both Gannets and Penguins. I had
not been long engaged thus when the captain of the
tuQf came to look for me, and said we must be ooincr ;
this was quite an hour before the time limit he had
ofiven me, and I told him so, but he was inexorable,
and I had no alternative but to commence packing up
my things.

One other photograph I must not forget, and that
is the picture of the old gun. This gun, after being
wrecked a hundred years ago or more, in one of the

PLATE TJII.

A BIRD ISLAND SCENE.

OLD GUN ON BIRD ISLAND.

BIRD ISLAND AND SAINT CROIX 1 95

old East Indiamen, was lately raised up from the sea
and placed in the position shown in the illustration,
where it stands near the lighthouse, like an aged
pensioner, proud of the charge entrusted to it in its
last years.

There were a few Penguins on the island and a few
Gulls ; otherwise it was inhabited as to bird life by the
Gannets only.

The captain now said he would row us between two
other islands, and so to Seal Island, in order that we
might obtain a closer view of the sea-lions, which are
here called seals ; the tug meanwhile would come round
and pick us up. We took our places in the boat,
exchanging for one of the lighthouse men a young son
of the captain's ; the boy seemed to be accustomed to
spending occasional months on Bird Island, and I asked
his father whether he would not be lonely there. He
laughed, saying that he had got the birds to look at, and
a bundle of "comics," and the time would soon go till
he came to fetch him. The captain steered us very
cleverly through a narrow strait between the two
islands, through which the sea was breaking with
considerable force, biding his time, and giving a sudden
order to the men to pull just after one long wave had
swept broadside across the narrow passage. We found
ourselves clear, and in the open water again only just
in time, followed by another long breaking wave ; the
skipper knew what he was about, but it looked rather
a bold stroke, with the rocks on either side of us.

About twenty minutes further rowing brought us
alongside of Seal Island, and a wild sight it certainly was.
As far as I remember, the island was composed of two

196 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

large black rocks connected by a low riclge, while over
this ridge the sea was breaking" and boiling in masses
of white surf. The rocks were thickly tenanted by the
sea-lions, the biggest of which certainly must have been
as large as the body of a medium-sized mule. We
huno- off within about thirty yards of the rocks, and the
creatures that were lying nearest the water flopped
about in a most ungainly way until they slid into the
sea, often to reappear, head and shoulders, in the midst
of the white surf ; those on the top of the rock raised
themselves up and looked about them. Perhaps the
most strange effect of any was the continuous roar that
they kept up all the time ; the sound reminded me of
a drove of cattle. I asked the skipper whether it would
be possible to land, but he said that the boat would be
stove in against the rocks, and as it was the men had
hard work to keep her anything like stationary. He
wanted me to take some photographs from the boat,
and if I had had a hand-camera with me I could have
obtained some good ones ; those that I took were
useless, as I knew would be the case, being taken
with a twenty-inch-focus lens from an unsteady boat.
When specimens of these sea-lions are required for any
museum, the creatures are generally clubbed on the head
by one of the sailors ; if shot, they will nearly always
succeed in escaping- into the water.

The tug, which had been longer than we expected
in putting in an appearance, now came into view, so
rowing out to meet it, we were soon on our way home.

The group of islands treated of in the foregoing
pages is not the only one in Algoa Bay, for, starting
from Port P^lizabeth in a north-easterly direction, and

BIRD ISLAND AND SAINT CKOIX 1 97

thereby cutting off the most sheltered corner of the
Bay, are two small islands ; the larger one is called St.
Croix, and the smaller, Jarheel.

These islands lie not very far from each other, and
at a distance of about ten miles from Port Elizabeth.
No boats visit them regularly, for they do not possess
a lighthouse, and are quite out of the way of any
regular traffic by sea, so that one must either charter
a tug for the day or be content to leave them alone.
As my friend Mr. H. was leaving for England shortly,
we decided to try our luck on St. Croix by chartering
one of these tugs, and trusting to chance in being able
to hit off a day on which it was calm enough for us to
land. Although so much less exposed than Bird Island,
St. Croix has the reputation of being very bad landing ;
I believe there is only one little creek where boats
can approach the shore, possibly two, but I am not
quite certain.

St. Croix is not one of the guano islands, conse-
quently it does not come under the strict supervision
of the Cape Government, as do the Bird Islands, Dyer's
Island, off the extreme south coast, Dassen Island, a
little way north of Cape Town — this latter the scene
of many wrecks — and several others. The Cape Gov-
ernment obtains a not inconsiderable revenue from
the sale of guano from these various islands, and also
to a much smaller extent from that of the Penguins'
eggs, which latter find a ready sale among the poorer
classes in Cape Town. The officials are therefore
exceedingly chary of giving permission to visit any of
these islands which are under their control, lest the
birds be driven away from their breeding stations.

198 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

St. Croix, then, as I have said, not beinir under the
observation of these officials, we set about makingf
enquiries with a view to hiring one of the small tugs
for the day, the price of which would be so and so ; the
amount seemed rather heavy, but represented, I believe,
only the bare expenses of working the boat. The ware-
houses at that time were so full of war provisions that
no coal could be stored, which fact caused an unusually
high price to be asked for that article of fuel.

Going down to the jetty on the day before our
proposed trip we met Captain L.. who laughed and
shruoored his shoulders when he saw us. "You mi'^ht
land," he said, " in a whale boat, but it's very doubtful.
There'll be wind to-morrow if it doesn't rain to-night,
but if it does rain vou'll be all riofht, the sea will cro
down." With this somewhat ambiguous reply we were
fain to be content. Then Mr. N. came along and
unlocked the door of his office, he laughed too, but
waited till he had looked at his weather-glass to shrug
his shoulders and shake his head. " I'll let you know
in the morning," he said, "if you can go, but I should
think it's doubtful."

That same night there was a heavy thunderstorm,
lasting for several hours, accompanied by high wind
and rain ; this was the first storm of the kind that I
had seen In the Colony, for they are not so common
in the southern parts as they are farther north, on the
Karroo and in the Transvaal. This storm certainly
was not lackinor in brilliancv, for the liohtnino- shot
down, flash succeeding flash in such quick succession
that the town seemed for the time being to be illu-
minated, and the thunder, which is usually accorded a

BIRD ISLAND AND SAINT CROIX 1 99

decent interval in which to make itself heard, had
perforce to keep up an almost continuous roar. We
were agreeably surprised therefore, after such a stormy
nit*-ht, to receive a call from Mr. N. the next mornino-,
who came to inform us that he thought we should be
able to land on St. Croix Island ; at any rate he
considered that the chances of doing so were in our
favour. When we came down to the jetty we found
that it was as Captain L. liad predicted, the rain had
beaten down the sea, and there was now only a smooth
rolling swell. We found all in readiness, and within
five minutes of reaching the tug, had shipped our
various paraphernalia on board and had got under way.

After leaving the jetty we picked up and took in
tow a small boat, for the purpose of landing on St,
Croix Island. Soon oettinof clear of the laroe steamers
which stood furthest out to sea we found ourselves
among some porpoises, one of which would roll up
occasionally in a lazy way, close to the boat, then blow,
and disappear under water again. A few Cape Hens
glided in front of the tug and followed the course of
the waves, but there were not many other birds to be
seen. The scarcity of sea birds was very noticeable
round the jetty at Port Elizabeth, perhaps on account
of the absence of any harbour there is but little food
for them to j^ick up ; this is in striking contrast to the
harbour at Cape Town, where at most seasons of the
year Gannels, Duykers, and Gulls are to be seen by
hundreds, Penguins even making their way to the
entrance of the harbour.

A few stragglers from the great colony of Can nets
on Bird Island were to be seen now and then as we

200 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

Steamed along- on our way to St. Croix, the birds look-
ing a pure chalky white against the blue sky, as they
sailed with outspread wings over the water, even the
cloud of spray that replaced them as they dived scarcely
rivalling their plumage in purity of white. Gannets
will keep under water for a considerable time, and just
as one begins to surmise when any particular bird
is going to come up again, it will suddenly appear,
floating lightly upon the water, turn its head quickly
from side to side and then take wing, leaving feet-
marks upon the sea as it gradually rises.

When we had gone a distance of about six miles
or so we altered our course slightly, in the direction of
a vessel that lay at anchor by itself, which we were told
was a dynamite ship, and as such had been banished to
this lonely anchorage.. It was a large vessel, and as we
drew up underneath it, our skipper fastened one or two
parcels and a bundle of newspapers to a line that the
occupants of the ship let down for the purpose. They
. asked us the news, and inquired of us where we were
going to, so after satisfying their curiosity we bade
them goodbye and continued on our way.

St. Croix was now visible, outlined against the
distant line of sand-hills which forms the northern
boundary of x-\lgoa Bay, but as the island is only
perhaps fifty or a hundred feet in height it was not
until we were within reasonable distance of it that we
could distinguish it from the coast line. We could see
with the aid of our crlasses that Gulls, both old and
young, were circling over the island ; these would
probably be the African representative of our Great
Black-backed Gull.

15IRD ISLAND AND SAINT CROIX 20I

The island of St. Croix, although so bare and
desolate looking, is not without some historical interest,
inasmuch as it was here that one of the stone crosses
erected by the Portuguese exploring expedition, under
the leadership of one Bartholomew Uiaz, was placed,
more than three centuries ago. Portions of this cross
are now in the Museum at Cape Town.

A nearer approach to the island enabled us to see
rows of Penguins sittinof at various altitudes on the
shelves of rock which in places overlooked the water.
We anchored about a hundred yards from the north
end of the island, and then prepared to go ashore in
the little boat. As we were rowed past the rocks we
could see several groups of Penguins standing in their
quaint attitudes close to the shore, many of them
in very bad plumage, this being apparently the moult-
ing season — the middle of January. We landed in a
little creek, somewhat sheltered from the swell, and
taking our cameras up to a dilapidated old shed which
stood near at hand, we beg-an to get ready to commence
operations. This shed had been erected as a shelter
for sailors who might find themselves wrecked upon the
island, in the event of their vessels being blown land-
wards by the frequent south-easterly gales.

The attitudes of the Penguins were very comical ;
one bird, we had noticed when we were landing, going-
through the most extraordinary performance by itself,
standing bolt upright and turning its head stiffly from
side to side, its two flippers sticking out from its body.
The bird presented much the appearance of an old and
rheumatic man trying on a tight-fitting coat in front of
a lookino-olass, and endeavourino- to see for himself

202 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

how it fitted at the back. I was just going to photo-
graph this bird, which was standing on a piece of
shelving rock near the margin of the shore, when a
big wave Hcked it up most unceremoniously, rolling
the bird over and over down the sloping rock and
into the sea. Whether these contortions were put on
by this bird because of the unusual presence of visitors
to the island, or whether they were of everyday
occurrence I do not know, probably the latter, as I
remember noticing at the time several other Penguins,
themselves concealed in a small cave, who were appar-
ently enjoying the spectacle, until all were rudely swept
up by the wave. My friend stayed about here to
photograph some groups of Penguins, while I walked
part of the way round the island to see what I could
find of interest. I soon came to a small inlet between
the rocks, up which the waves were breaking with
considerable force, while on either side of these rocks
were standing groups of Penguins. I found that if I
approached them too quickly they took to the water at
once, one bird usually leading the way, and the rest
following, at first slowly, and then helter-skelter, many
of them rolling down the rock in their eagerness to
reach the sea. These birds, commonly called the
"Jackass" Penguin, from the peculiar braying noise
that they make, are totally unable, to tly, and walk
with extreme ungainliness. I found that the most suc-
cessful way to obtain photographs of them was to drive
them into the sea and then wait quietly with the
camera, when after a little while they would gradually
take to the rocks again.

It was amusing to watch them doing this, and I

PLATE LIV,

BLACK-FOOTED PENGUIN.

{Splioiiscus demersus.)
26"

BIRD ISLAND AND SAINT CROIX 203

noticed that they generally waited for a higher wave
than usual, taking- advantage of the help thus afforded
to start them on their way. It often took them five or
six attempts before they could obtain a foothold up the
steep rocks, and when at last they succeeded in getting
their balance they would toddle up with bent back,
aided by their outstretched flippers, and rejoin their
companions who were waiting for them at the summit.
I think the small barnacles which in many places
covered the rocks down by the sea, were a great
assistance to them in gaining a foothold. Perhaps the
most successful photograph that I obtained of them is
the one shown on plate 49, which presents the birds in
three different attitudes, some swimming in the water,
others laboriously climbing up the steep face of the
rock, and others again standing at the top. Once in
the water, however rough it might be, they seemed to
be thoroughly at home, swimming easily, and when
the waves became too rough for them they took refuge
in diving, at which they were adepts ; here they looked
anything but foolish. One bird which was standing on
a piece of rock, separated from another piece of rock
by a fissure of about a foot in width, apparently wished
to change its position ; this it could only do by jumping,
so, after contemplating the situation for a little while,
it shuffled with its feet and then jumped across the gap,
only just managing to regain its foothold on the other
side.

The L-rcat breedino" stations of these Penguins are
for the most part on islands where they can deposit
their eggs in burrows and holes in the ground, but
on St. Croix and one or two other rocky islands they

204 SOME I5IRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

have to suit themselves to their surroundini^s, nesting
in the crevices, of vvliicli tlicre are many, between the
rocks. It was curious to see parties of them hurry-
ing into the sea as we approached them ; they did not
seem to mind rolHno- about, and if thev were too far
from the water to reach it in what they considered to
be a dignified manner, they would tumble down and
roll over and over until they reached their favourite
element. It is said that Penguins breed all the year
round on the islands off the coast of South Africa, and
that the breeding places are never entirely untenanted
by these birds. There were very few of them breeding
on St. Croix at the time we were there, and I should
not have obtained the photograph of the Penguin on
its nest, had it not been that the bird drew my attention
to itself by giving me a smart peck on the ankle as I
was walking down the rocks to look at some nests,
which, I was told, belonged to a species of Crane.
I therefore stopped, and returned good for evil by
taking the Penguin's photograph. It assumed the
most ridiculous positions while I was doing this, lying
on its stomach and screwing its head round, first to
one side and then to the other, never keeping still for
a moment. I can only describe its movements as
"languishing"; nor was this the only bird that lan-
guished, for some that were evidently moulting, and
had retired to crevices underneath the large rocks, did
the same thing. I have no doubt that the nest here
reproduced, which was made of sticks, was in reality
an old nest of a Dicyker, and that the Penguin had
adapted it to its own use.

We had not been favoured with a good light for

PLATE LV

^

\

PENGUIN ON NEST.

BIRD ISLAND AND SAINT CROIX 205

photograph i no- durini;- the early portion of the day, and
at about three o'clock it began to darken very rapidly,
when it soon became apparent that we were to have a
second edition of the storm of the previous night. This
was disappointing, neither of us having taken as many
photographs as we wished to, nor had we used up more
than about half of our plates. There was evidently
nothing to be done but run with all speed to the shed
which afforded the only shelter there was on the island,
and before we had arrived there the rain had begun in
real earnest, accompanied by thunder and lightning-
Here we found two of the men from the tug, who
had come to take us off, one of whom was nursing a
large Penguin, which he said would make him a capital
supper ! They told us to get ready as quickly as we
could, as there was going to be a storm, and the sea
would rise in a very short time. After taking particular
care to bring our mackintoshes with us, it was only
natural that they should be in the tug while we were
in the boat, consequently we were exposed to the full
force of the rain, which came down in no half-hearted
manner during our short passage from the island to
the tug.

The only birds we saw on St. Croi.x besides Gulls
and Penguins were a pair of Black Oyster Catchers,
which were standing about on the rocks near the shore.
We had met with these birds before, at Mossel Bay,
where the white sand served to show up their sooty-
black plumage and long red beaks very strikingly.
They would not permit of a near approach at Mossel
Bay, perhaps knowing how conspicuous they must look,
but flew off, uttering their loud whistling cry, K-lee

206 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

K-lee K-lee. They were tamer on St. Croix, where the
surroundings were more in keepini^- with their plumage.
The steam back to Port EHzabeth could not be
called, by any stretch of imagination, enjoyable, nor
was the fact of being cooped up in a very small cabin
calculated to improve the position, decked out as I was
in a coat that did not belong to me and smelt strongly
of fish. In due time the rain ceased, and when we
were able to quit our shelter, I was relieved to find
that the masts of the shipping outside Port Elizabeth
were just visible, lit up by a pale streak of sunlight in
the midst of the storniy surroundings.

THE END.

INDEX.

lite niiiitbers in heavy type refer to the plates.

Adderley Street, 91.
yEgialitis marghiata, 43, ii,
,, pecuaria, 45, 46.
,, tricollaris, 27.
African coast, 13.

,, Kingfisher, Great, iii, 141.

,, Pied Kingfisher, 112.
africaniis, Spheincacus, 40.
Agania, Species of, 24, 103.
Ajtilaga Shrub, 35, 40.
Alcaircii, 24, 25, 58.
,, Nest of, 11.
Alcaravan, 29.
Alcedo ispida, 141.
Algerian Grey Shrike, 2, 24, 25.
a/geriensis, Laniiis, 2.
Algoa Bay, 182, 184, 185, 190, 196, 197,

200.
Andropadus iniporlinms, 31.
Anthus hertheloti, 13.

,, pyrrhonotus, 35.
Apahs thoracica, 31.
Atlantic, 78.
Arrecife, 16.
Avularda, 10, 27.

Bakbakiri Bush-Shrike, 112, 113,
Barber (Mrs.). 123.
Barneby (W. T.), 125.
Bar-throated Warbler, 31, 127.
Bass Rock, 193.
Berg River, 1 10, 136.
bertheloti, Anthus, 13.
Berthelot's Pipit, 13, 68.

,, ,, Nest of, 13.

Bird Island, 185, 186, 191, 192, 193,

.195. 197, 199-
Bird Island Lighthouse, 191, 192, 193,

195-
Bird of St. Anthony, 82.
Bishop Bird, Red, 99, 103, 104, 105.
,, ,, Yellow, 24, 103, 104.
,, ,, ,, Nest of, 24.

Black-backed Gull, Great, 200.

,, -banded Sand-Grouse, 16, 35.
Blackberry-bird, 80
Blackbird, 83.
Blackcap, 68, 83, 87.

Black-footed Penguin, 54.
Black Oyster Catcher, 205.
Blue Chaffinch, 82.

,, Tit, Tenerife, 14, 69.
Bontroche, 173.
Boontslafigs, 130.
Bosch Kelke, 127, 130.
Bot River, 97, 98, 102.

„ ,, Vley, 103.
Brandvley, 109.
Bubo niacnlosiis, 42.
Bulbul, Sombre, 31, 130.
Bullfinch, 30.
Bush-Cuckoo, 128.

,, Shrike, 1 12.

,, ,, Bakbakiri, 1 12, II3.

,, Wineglass, 127.
Bustard, 10.

,, Houbara, Nest of, 3.
Butterflies, 150.

„ Leaf, 151.

Caledon, 93, 95, 104, no, 155.
Caminefo, 67, 68, 88.
Caiiadas, 66, 67.
Canaria, 10.
Canary, 68, 83.

,, Islands, 2, 3, 48, 91, 152.
Cape Agulhas, 114.

„ Colony, 91, 92, 93, 95, 99, 108,
109, no, 112, 116. 117, 130,
137, 146, 149, 150, 171, 1S2,
197, ic)8.
,, Eagle-Owl, 155.
,, Flats, 92, 108.
,, Flycatcher, 29, 119, 120, 121.
,, ,, Nest of, 30.

,, Gannets, 21, 52, 1S6, 190, 192,

>93. 194. 195. i99> 200.
,, Grass-warblcr, 23, 100, 148.
,, ,, Nest of, 23.

,, Hens, 199.
,, Long-claw, 34, 136.

„ Nest of, 34.
,, ,, -tailed Sun-bird, 96.

,, Peninsula, 92.

,, Town, 91, 92, 93, no, n2, n3,
1 14, 1 16, 136, 191, 197, 199, 201.

208

INDEX

Cape Wagtail, 33, 134, 150.
,, ,, Nest of, 33.

,, Weaver Birds, 25.

,, ,, Nests of, 25.

,, White-eye, 122.
rapensis, Macrouyx, 34.
,, Motacilla, 33.
,, Pachyproia, 29.
,, Pyroi/ielana, 24.
,, Si fag) a, 25.
Capirote, 83.

Caprhmt/gus eiiropans, 41.
Carpiiite7-o, 77.
Centropus Senegal ensis., 32.
Ceryle rudis, 36, 37.
Chiffchaff, 15, 74, S3, 87.

,, Nest of, 15.

Cinnamon-backed Pipit, 35, 137.

,, ,, Nest of, 35.

Cisticola siihntficapilla, 39.
Colies, 126.
co/iaris, Lanitts, 28.
Common Heron, 100, 138.
conspicillala, Sylvia, 16.
Coot, South African, 99.
Cormorant, 99, 131, 192.
Corn Bunting, 74.
Coj'vus tiiigitamis, 10.
Courser, Cream-coloured, 7, 8, 10, 25, 26,

27, 28, 35, 40, 41, 42, 45, 46, 52, 53.
Courser, Cream-coloured, nest of, 7, 8.
Crane, 108, 204.
,, Kaffir, 139.
,, Stanley, 138, 139.
crepitans, QLdicneunts, 6.
Cuba, 57.

Cuckoo, 104, 127, 128, 129.
,, Bush-, 128.
,, Emerald, 128.
,, Golden, 128.
,, Lark-heeled, 128.
,, ,, nest and young of, 32.

Cuervo, 28, 54, 75, 76.
Curlew, 131, 132, 134, 135, 140, 141.
,, Stone-, 28, 29, 40, 104.
,, ,, Nest of, 6.

Cursorius galliciis, 7, 8.
Cut-throat Lark, 136.
cyanonielas, lYochocercns, 30.
Cypress trees, 12, 65, 66.

dacotiiT, Pratincola, 62.
Danger Point, 104.
Dassen Lsland, 197.
demersiis, Sphenisais, 54.
Dragon tree, 8.
Duyker, 99, 192, 199, 204.

,, Reed, 99.
Dyer's Island, 197.

Eagles, 139.
Eagle-Owl, 155, 156.

Eagle-Owl, Cape, 155.

,, Spotted, 42, 155.
Eastern Africa, 126.
East Indianien, 195.
Egret, 131, 132, 133, 135, 136, 141.

,, Great White, ico.

,, Little, 100, 131, 132, 140.
Egyptian Vulture, 49.

,, nest of, 9.

El Fraile, 88, 89.
Emerald Cuckoo, 128.
EngaTia, 10, 26, 41, 44.
,, muchachos, 10.
England, 25, 28, 36, 73, 75, 82, 86, 151,

160, I7r, 173, 197.
English Mouse Sparrow, 96.
Erithacus sitperhits, 18.
Eucalyptus luarginata, 87.
etiropicus, Capriimilgus, 41.
European Nightjar, 41, 15 r.
"Everlasting" ilowers, 94, 104.

Falcon, 83, 133.
False Bay, 92, 158.
fa»iosa, Nectariuia, 22.
Fantail, Small Grey-backed, 39.

,, ,, nest of, 39.

Fiscal Shrike, 28, 112, 113.
Flower Carpet, 19, 85.
Flycatcher, 118, 120, 121, 122.

,, Cape, 29, 119, 120, 121.

,, Nest of, 30.
,, Grey-mantled, 30, 120.

,, South African Paradise, 120.

Frailesco, 69, 70.
Frogs, 83, III.

Fuerteventura, 2,3, 5, 10, II, 12, 13, 14,
15, 16, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29,
30, 31, 35> 36, 37. 38, 46, 47, 48, 49,
54, 57, 58, 61, 62, 63, 68, 75.

gallicus, Cursorius, 7, 8.

Gallinule, Purple, 99.

Gavga, 16, 54.

Gannets, Cape, 21, 52, 186, 190, 192, 193,

194, 195, 199, 200.
Garachico, 79, 87, 88.
Geelbeck, 99.
Genesta, 66.
George, 116.

,, Lakes, 147.
G host-bird, 171.
" Ginger," 192.
Gofio, 13, 23, 24, 55.
Golden Cuckoo, 128.
Golf Links (Las Palmas), 30.
Gomera, 2.

Government Avenue, 112.
Grand Canary, 2, 3, 11, 19, 23, 30, 40,

47, 83, 160.
Grass-Warbler, 149.

,, ,, Cape, 23, 100, 148.

INDEX

209

Grass Warbier, Cape, Nest of, 23.

,, ,, Foinled-tailed, 40, 149.
,, ,. ,. Nest of, 40.

Great African Kingfisher, ill, 141.
,, Black -backed (jiill, 200.
,, Crested Grebe, 102.
,, Spotted Woodpecker, 77.
,, White E^rret, 100.
Grebe, Great Crested, 102.
Greenshank, 131, 132, 133, 172, 173.
Green Woodpecker, 104.
Grey-backed Fantail, Small, 39.

Nest of, 39.
,, -mantled Flycatcher, 30, 120.
,, Wagtail, 71.
Ground-Woodpecker, 104.
Guide, Honey-, 122, 123, 124, 125.
Little, 123.
,, ,, White-backed, 123.

Guimar, 4.
Gtiirre, 49, 50.

Gull, Great Black-backed, 200.
Gulls, 195, 199, 2CO, 205.
Gun, Old, on Bird Island, 53, 194.

Hammerkop, 146, 174, 1S6.

,, Nesting site of, 38.

Harriers, 171.
Heron, 99, 131, 133, 136, 140.

,, Common, 100, 138.

„ Night, 147.

,, Purple, 99.
Hierro, 2.
Honey-bird, 125, 126.

,, -Guide, 122, 123, 124, 125.

,, ,, Little, 123.

,, ,, White-backed, 123.

Hoopoe, 10, 17, 29, 57, 61, 75.
Hornbill, 154, 155.

,, Clowned, 154.
Hortiero, 75-
Horn's Marshes, 171.
Hottentot's Hollands" Mountains, 92.
Houbara Bustard, 26, 27, 28, 35, 40, 52,

S3-
Houbara Bustard, Nest of, 3.
House Sparrow, English, 96.
Houw Hock, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 102,

104.
Houw Hoek Mountains, 93, 97.

Ice-plant, 88.
Icod, 79, 81, 82, 87.
import iitiiis, Androfadus, 31.
Indicator major, 123.
,, minor, 123.
Isleta, 10, II, 12.
ispida, Alcedo, 141.

Jackass Penguin, 202.
Jarheel, 197.

14

Kaffir Crane, 139.

,, Fink, 103, 149.
Kaftirs, 93.
Karroo, 198.
Kentish Plover, 160.
Kestrel, 16, 83.

Kingfisher, 104, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144.
,, Great African, iii, 141.

,, Pied, 36, 37, 112, 141. 173.

,, ,, Nesting site of, 37.

Kingfishers, South African, 112.
Kirk (Dr.), 123.
Kite, 70, 77.
Kittlitz's Sand-Plover, 4S, 46, 165, 166,

168, 169, 172.
Klein River, 104, 109.
Klipsemanner, 103.

Knysna, no, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118,
127, 129, 130, 131, 135, 136, 139, 140,
148, 151, 152, 154, 155, 161, 162, 166,
170, 174, 175, 178, 179.
Knysna Forest, no, 115, 116, 128.

„ Heads, 114, 115, 131, 135, 136,
170, 171, 179.
Knysna Lakes, 146, 147, 156, 170.

„ River, 117, 131.
Kowie, 124.

La Antigua, 35, 37.
Laguna, 8, 9.

Plain, 8.
Lanius algerieiisis, 2.

Nest of, 11.
,, collaris, 28.
Lanzarote, 2, 16, 62, 63.
La Oliva, 1, 14, 18, 22, 24, 28, 31, 32,

33. 34. 35. 40, 63.
Lark, Cut-throat, 136.
,, Rufus-capped, 137.
„ Sky-, 136.
Larks, 137.
Lark-heeled Cuckoo, 128.

,, ,, Nest and Young

of, 32.
Las Palnias, 3, 10, n, 12, 23, 30, 35,

83, 160.
Layard (E. L.), 123.
„ (L. C), 171.
Leaf Butterflies, 151.
Leon y Castillo, 9, 62.
Leopard, 94, 95.
Lesser Tern, 53.
Little Egret, 100, 131, 132, 140.

,, Honey-Guide, 123.
Lizard, 75, 83, 87.
Locust, 80.

Long-claw, Cape, 34, 136.
,, ,, ,, Nest of, 34.
,, -tailed Sun-bird, Cape, 96, 150.

Macronyx capensis, 34.
maculosa, Pritiia, 23.

2IO

INDEX

maculosus. Bubo, 42.

Madagascar, id.

major. Indicator, 1:23.

Malachite Sus^ar-birti, 95.

,, Sun-bird, 22,95, 96. 150. I72-
,, ,, Nest of, 22.

Malagas h, 191.

Malays, 183.

Mantis, Traying, 80.

viarginata, .Jigialili's, 43, 44.

Matanza, 7.

Meade- Waldo's Chat, 62.

Mesemhryantheiiiiinis, 1 50.

Millwood, 115.

minor, Indicalor, 123.

Morocco Raven, 54.

,, ,, Nest of, 10.

Mossel Bay, no, 116, 158, 161, 205.

Motacilla capensis, 33.

Mousebirds, 126.

Mozambique, 125.

Musinga, 123.

" Nature," 25.
Neclarinia fainosd, 11.
Neophron fercnopterus, 9.
Night Herons, 147.
Nightjar, 151, 152, 154.

,, European, 41, 1 51.

,, South African, 151.
Norfolk, 152, 160.

CEdicnemiis crepitans, 6.

Old Gun on Bird Island, 53, 194-

Orotava, 3, 5, 6, 7, 47, 65, 66, 71, 72,

79, 81, 86.
Ostrich, 170, 171.
Otis nnditlata, 3.
Oven- Bird, 75.
Owl, see Eagle-Ovvl.
Oyster Catcher, Black, 205.

Pachyprora capensis, 29.

Pajaro de San Antonio, 82.

Palma, 2.

Paradise Flycatcher, South African, 120.

Partridge, 73.

Partis tenerifiC, 14.

Peak of Tenerife, 3, 5, 6, 11, 34, 66, 67,

81,87.
pecuaria, ^Egialitis, 45, 46.
Pedro Uiis, 29.
Peewit, 26.

Penguin, Black-footed, 54.
Penguins, 49, 51, 55, 192, I94. I95. I97.

201, 202, 203, 204, 205.
Peninsula, 57.
percnopterzis. Neophron, 9.
Peregrine Falcon, 83.
Peseta, 23.

Phylloscopus ritfiis, 15.
Pied Kingfisher, 36, 37, 112, 141, I73-

Pied Kingfisher, nesting site of, 37.
Piet, 130, 148.

,, Mijn yroiiw, 128.
Pigeon, 83.
Pine trees, 65, 66.
Pipit, 136, 137.

,, Berthelot's, 13, 68.

,, ,, Nest of, 13.

,, Cinnamon- backed, 35, 137.

,, ,, ,, Nest ot, 35.

Plover, see Sand- Plover.

,, Kentii-h, 160.

,, Ringed, 153, 159, 160, 163.
Plovers, 135, is8, 161, 163, 165, 166,

168, 169.
Plovers, Siiulh African, no.
Pointed-tailed Grass- Warbler, 40, 149.

,, ,, ., >, Nest ot, 40.

Port Elizabeth, no, n4, 138, 139, 158,

178, 181, 182, 183. 185, 188, 189, 190,

196, 197, 206.
Port of Orotava, 78, 79, 84.
Portuguese East Africa, 125.
Pratincola dacotiic, 62.

,, torqiiala, 47.
Praying Mantis, So.
Prinia niaiiilosa, 23.
protea, 95, 96, 150.
Puerto Cabras, 3, n, 12, 13, 16, 34, 38,

40, 56, 57> 58, 62.
Pungwee River, 125.
Purple Gallinule, 99.

,, Heron, 99.
Pyroinelana capensis, 24.
pyrrhonotus, Anthus, 35.

Quick Stertje, 1 34.

Raven, 27, 45, 53, 54, 69, 75, 76, 77.

,, Morocco, Nest of, 10.
Red-backed Shrike, 25, n2.

,, Bishop-bird, 99, 103, 104, 105.
Reed Duyker, 99.

,, Warbler, 102.
Retatiia, 66, 67.
Rhenoster, loo.

Ringed Plover, 53, 159, 160, 164.
Robm, Tenerife, 70, 82.

„ ,, Nest of, 18.

riuiis, Ceryle, 36, 37-
Rufuscapped Lark, 137.
rufus, Phylloscopus, 15.

St. Croix, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 203,

204, 205, 206.
St. George's Park, 139.
Salt River, 140, 142, 173.
Sand-grouse, 16, 35, 54.

,, ,, Black-banded, 16, 35.
Sandpiper, no, ni, 135.

,, Wood, 172.

Sand-Plover, Kittlitz's, 45, 46, 165, 166,

168, 169, 172.

INDEX

2 I 1

Sand-Plover, Three-collared, 27, no,

III.
,, ,, ,, ,, Nest of, 27.

„ ,, White, 158, 159, 161, 165,

166.
,, ,, White-fronted, 43, 44.
,, ,, ,, ,, Nest of, 43,

44.
Sand Plovers, 164.
Santa Cruz, 3, 7, 8, 9, 73, 79, 84, 87.

„ Ursula, 6, 79.
Scarlet-chested Sun-bird, 150.
Scopus titiibretta, 38.
Scotland, 23, 193.
Scotch Fir, 108.
Sea lions, 192, 195, 196.
Seal Island, 188, 192, 195.
Seals, 195.

secretarius, Serpenfarius, 26.
Secretary Bird, 107, 108.

,, ,, Nest of, 26, 107, 144.
senegalensis, Ceiitropiis, 32.
Serpenlarins secreCan'iis, 26.
Shrike, 24, 25, 112.

,, Algerian Grey, 2, 24, 25.
,, Bakbakiri, Bush-, I12, II3.
,, Bush-, 112.
,, Fiskal, 28, 112, 113.
,, Red-backed, 25, 112.
Sir Lowry's Pass, 92, 93.
Sky-lark, 136.
Small Grey-backed Fantaii, 39.

Nest of, 39.
Snake-Bird, 109.
Snakes, 130.
Snipe, 167, 171, 173.
Sombre Buibul, 31, 130.
South Africa, 92, 99, 100, 104, 105, 108,
no, 112, 130. 141, 151, 152, 155, 158,
161, 182.
Sr>uth African Coot, 99.

,, ,, Paradise Flycatcher, 120.
,, ,, Stone-chat, 47, 48, 148.
Spain, 2, 57.
Sparrow, English House. 96.

,, Hawk, 83.
Spectacled Warbler, 16, 74, 80.

,, ,, Nest of, 17.

Spheuicactis africamis, 40.
Sphenisciis deinerstis, 54.
Spook Vo,£;el, 171.
Spotted Eagle-Owls, 42, 155.
Stanford, 104, 107, no.
Stanley Crane, 138, 139.
Steinbok Island, 131, 133, 161.
Stone-chat, 173, 174.

,, ,, South African, 47, 48, 148,

173-

,, -Curlew, 28, 29, 40, 104.

,, ,, Nest of, 6.

Stoik, 134, 146.
subruficapilla, Cisdcola, 39.

Sugar-bird, 95.

,, bush, 95.
Sun-bird, 150.

,, ,, Black, 150.

,, ,, Cape Long-tailed, 96, 150.

,, ,, Malachite, 22, 95, 96, 150,
172.

,, ,, Malachite, Nest of, 22.

,, ,, Scarlet-chested, 150.
Sunday River, 138.
Sylvia conspicillaia, 16.
SHperbus, Erilhaciis, 18.

Table Mountain, 92.

Tabobo, 10, 17.

Tacaronteia, 27.

tenerifie. Partis, 14.

Tenerife, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 16, 17, 19,
23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 33, 37, 40, 47, 52,
57, 65, 66, 67, 68, 73, 74, 75. 78, 79,
80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 86, 87, 89.

Tenerife Blue Tit, 14, 69.
,, Robin, 70, 82.

,, Nest of, 18.

Teydean Chaffinch, 82.

Thatfield, 124.

thoracica, Apalis, 31.

Three-collared Sand-Plover, 27, no, n i .
,, ,, ,, ,, Nest of 27.

Tiger, 94, loi.

(ingilanits, Corvus, 10.

Tit, Tenerife Blue, 14, 69.

Tits, 122.

torquata, Pratincola, 47.

Transvaal, 198.

Tree Snakes, 130.

tricollaris, .ligialitis, 27.

Triguero, 74.

Trochocercus cyanovielas, 30.

Trumpeter Bullfinch, 29, 30.

Tuineje, 27, 33, 39, 40, 57, 61.

Turnstone, 160.

ttinbretta, Scopus, 38.
uuihilata, Otis, 3.

Vilaflor, 65, 66, 68, 71, 73, 74, 75, §2,

84.
Villano, 70.

Villa of Orotava, 81, 85, 86.
Vley Laurie, 129, 148.
Vulture, 16, 51, 52, 79, 83.
,, Egyptian, Nest of, 9.

Wagtail, Cape, 33, U4, 150.
,, Nest of, 33.
,, Grey, 71.
Warbler, Bar-throated, 31, 127.

„ Cape Grass-, 23, 100, 148.

,, Nest of, 23.
,, Grass-, 149.
,, Pointed-tailed Grass-, 40, I49-

2 I 2

INDEX

Warbler, Reed, 102.

,, Spectacled, 16, 74, 80.
,, ,, Nest of, 17.

Weaver-birds, 99, 104, 105.
,, ,, Cape, 25.

„ ,, ,, Nests of, 25.

West Africa, III.
Wheat-bird, 74.

White-backed IIoney-Guide, 123.
,, -eye, Cape, 122.
,, -fronted Sand -Plover, 43, ii,
,, Sand-Plover, 158, 159, 161, 165,
166.

Whitethroat, 74.
Wild Duck, 99.
Woodpecker, 104, 175.

,, Great Spotted, 77.

,, Green, 104.

,, Ground-, 104.

Woodville, 116.

Yellow Bishop Bird, 24, 103, 104.
,, ,, „ Nest of, 24.

Zarza/ero, 80.

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AMNH LIBRARY

100107686