THE HONEY-GUIDES 159 



probably fall off upon the bird attaining its full growth (not rr ally 

 "maturity" as he inadvertently expressed it). 



There seems to be some variation in the duration of these hooks, as 

 van Someren informs me (in litt.) that he found no sign of them in a 

 nestling Indicator indicator 10-14 days old. 



The Postnestling Stage 



A most interesting and informative case history of the postnestling 

 stage is the following, kindly related to me in detail by its observer, 

 Gordon A. Ranger. On the farm "Gleniffer," near Kei Road, eastern 

 Cape Province, on December 27 he found a nest of a yellow-throated 

 sparrow, Petronia superciliaris, containing as its sole occupant a fully 

 plumaged, well-developed chick of the greater honey-guide. The young 

 parasite appeared at the opening of the nest hole at and after being 

 fed at each visit of the foster parents, calling lustily at the approach of 

 the sparrows with what Ranger describes as a "juvenile rendering of 

 the chattering (guiding) call of the adult." When he approached 

 the nest hole the bird eyed him for a short time and then withdrew 

 out of sight into the nest chamber. In following the fortunes of this 

 bird. Ranger found that only one of the sparrows fed it; this one is 

 called the female in the subjoined data, but this is only an assumption, 

 and it was not definitely proved by subsequently collecting the bird. 

 From here on I merely transcribe Ranger's words. 



Young honey-guide fed at nest hole only by female sparrow. Male 

 sparrow accompanied female on all her moves to and from the nest- 

 tree, both during nest-building, weeks earlier, and while feeding the 

 young honey-guide, but made no contribution either in nest materials 

 or in food until, on December 28, he disappeared. On this date the 

 female sparrow chased an adult Indicator indicator from near the nest 

 and pursued it until well away. The honey-guide did not return. 



December 31: 8:15 a. m. — Commotion at the sparrow's nest. The 

 missing sparrow had returned and the young Indicator had vacated 

 the nest and was perched nearby crying at the expectation of food. A 

 sparrow (male) remonstrated at the presence of a stranger (the young 

 honey-guide) so near to the nest and strove to drive it away. The 

 approach of the sparrow, however, served only to excite the young 

 honey-guide, causing it to increase its cries and to open its bill wide, 

 but instead of receiving the expected food it was assaulted directly by 

 the male sparrow who used its claws on the young bird. Further 

 attacks followed and then the sparrow closed with the honey-guide 

 which slowly swung around on its perch with the spari'ow clinging to 

 its head, and in this fashion both fluttered to the ground where the 



