THE HONEY-GUIDES 183 



they must have come from somewhere to southward of Kuhne, having 

 bred there . . . about April." 



In eastern Cape Province, Pringle (in litt.) has seen the lesser 

 honey-guide "during the winter, but not as many as during summer, so 

 I am sure the majority move off." However, throughout most of its 

 range, and especially in the northern and southern peripheral portions 

 of it, where, if anywhere, one might expect evidence of migration, the 

 species has been recorded definitely throughout the year. It cannot be 

 called migratory in a true sense. 



In the Umtaleni Valley, near Kei Road, eastern Cape Province, 

 Ranger trapped and banded a lesser honey-guide on March 3, 1953. 

 The bird was taken by C. J. Skead the same day to King William's 

 Town, roughly 15 miles away, and there released. Some eight months 

 latter, on November 26, it was recaptured in the Umtaleni Valley. 

 The distance involved, whUe not great, is much greater than an 

 individual bird would be expected to wander "normally" in its feeding 

 range. The fact that the biid was not recaptured until more than eight 

 months later does not necessarily mean anything, as it might have 

 come directly back from King William's Town in a day or two and 

 remained unobserved until its recapture. The same individual was 

 captured again on June 22, 1954, and taken to East London where it 

 was released three miles from the coast. On November 14 it was 

 retaken at Umtaleni. The distance involved was 27 miles in a straight 

 line. 



As is shown in our discussion of the call sites of the adult males, 

 it appears that the same individuals may be found day after day, for 

 months on end, calling from certain spots. This does suggest site 

 tenacity of a sort, but as yet in most cases we have no proof that the 

 bird in any one call spot is always the same individual. However, in 

 one instance we do know this to be the case; a bird ringed and color- 

 marked by Ranger "took over" a favorite site the day after a singing 

 male was shot there (to ascertain the sex of the calling bird). This 

 individual, easily recognizable, remained at the call site throughout 

 that season (1952-1953) and returned there again the following 

 summer (October, 1953). It seems that this case is a perfectly normal 

 one and reflects the usual situation, but aside from it we have only a 

 rather contradictory group of loose observations and statements. 

 Thus, for example, Skead (1951, p. 56) never saw anything "to indicate 

 any territorial instinct in the adult honeyguide. Indeed, because of 

 their uncommonness, it would appear almost unpossible to solve this 

 question. I believe the birds have an extensive range, and they are so 

 scarce that the possibility of clashing with others of their kind is 

 remote." 



