160 BULLETIN 2 08, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



attacking continued. Both the sparrows apparently were doing the 

 "mobbing" but only one can have been actually aggressive as subse- 

 quent events proved. 



When the attack on the ground had ceased, Ranger captured the 

 honey-guide and, after examining it, replaced it in the tree. The 

 young bird was very mature-looking except for the shortness of its 

 tail, and was fat and heavy. In the tree it chose another perch, using 

 its wings somewhat. When the two sparrows returned it was again 

 "mobbed" and one sparrow renewed the assault, bearing its victim 

 to the ground. Here it sat beneath a shrub and the sparrows stood 

 by for some time and then moved off. Nothing new developing, 

 Ranger then advanced to put the honey-guide back in the tree but 

 it flew off and rose up into a tall tree 30 yards away. Shortly after- 

 ward when the sparrows settled in this tree, the young honey-guide 

 renewed its food cries. A little later the sparrows flew off, but one 

 returned to feed the young bird which continued to receive food up 

 to 11 a. m. At noon the honey-guide flew to another tree about 30 

 yards farther av/ay from the nest-tree, and here was watched as it was 

 fed by one of the sparrows. 



January 1: 5 a. m. — A sparrow heard noisily calling at various 

 points and later the young honey-guide calling and seen fed repeatedly 

 by the sparrow. At 7 a. m. the young bird had moved to another tree 

 where feeding by a single sparrow continued. In this tree Ranger 

 was able to capture the honey-guide as it slept with its head buried in 

 its feathers. Both of the sparrows were noted at different times on 

 this day, but no attack on the honey-guide was seen. The young bird 

 was active, flitting about among the trees, and at times flew out behind 

 the mother sparrow after being fed. On one occasion it continued 

 to fly out into open space whereupon the mother followed it, but 

 soon the honey-guide, apparently because of the absence of trees before 

 it, turned back and the mother sparrow accompanied it to a perch. 

 As Ranger pointed out in his telling of this case, it was remarkable 

 how the maternal regard in the sparrow persists toward the young 

 parasite, which at the same time seems like an alien to the male 

 sparrow, which attacked it so often. 



January 2: Early this morning the young honey-guide was seen 

 being fed as usual by the very attentive foster parent. At about 

 6:30 a. m, the male sparrow arrived and ruthlessly attacked the 

 young bird in the tree, causing it to scream. The frightened bird fled 

 some distance to a bushy tree closely pursued by the sparrow, and here 

 screamed loudly under renewed onslaught by the latter. During all 

 these attacks and pursuits the female sparrow closely accompanied 

 her mate, and when the attack in the bushy tree ended both flew off 



