THE HONEY-GUIDES 187 



Moreaus recorded one such call-tree in use for five years, Ranger's 

 observations show that at Umtaleni individual calling posts have 

 been in constant use for several times that long. Because of the 

 paucity of recorded data, it may be well to report our observations 

 in some detail. 



There were two call posts in the Umtaleni Valley, one of which 

 Ranger had known to be used ever since 1935 — at least 15 years. 

 The two were about 800 yards apart, but the second one was not 

 used as constantly as the first. Actually, the first one was not a 

 single tree but two favorite trees close together and two less-favored 

 ones nearby. They were on a hUlside thickly sprinkled with thorn 

 trees. One of them was a cabbagewood tree; the others were thorn 

 trees. About 150 yards downhill there was a stream bordered by a 

 little wooded kloof, and occasionally the honey-guide would fly from 

 its chief caU site to this kloof where it would perch on one of the 

 taUer trees and give its song-call for perhaps 10 or more minutes and 

 then fly back to its hillside station. 



It was chiefly over the stream in this wooded kloof that it fed late 

 every afternoon, hawking about for insects like a flycatcher. Like 

 the greater honey-guide, it remained on its favorite call site from 

 about 7:30 or 8 a. m. to about 4 p. m. Before and after these hours 

 it was off feeding, chiefly in the kloof, but did not sing except from 

 the call sites (either the favorite, hillside group of trees or those in 

 the kloof). During the hours at the call site the bird not infrequently 

 would fly out and catch an insect in the air and then return to its 

 perch, combining feeding with singing at the call site much more 

 than ever was observed in Indicator indicator. 



An observation blind was constructed near the most favored of the 

 trees comprising the call site, and from this I was able to watch a 

 lesser honey-guide (presumably the same individual) at close range 

 (10-15 feet) for hours at a time on several consecutive days. The 

 bird was not seen or heard before 7:20-7:40 a. m. and was definitely 

 gone after 4 p. m. During the hours of close observation the bird 

 usually sat in a rather erect position under the foliage, where it was 

 neither completely hidden nor wholly exposed, and "sang" a series of 

 slightly throaty, somewhat plaintive kleuu notes, varying from 15-30 

 notes in a series. There was only a short space of two or three 

 minutes between each series. The bird jerked a Uttle when giving 

 each of its notes, a sUght quivering of the whole body and tail being 

 noticeable at close range. There was no modification in accent, 

 pitch, or intensity of the notes in a series, the result being a truly 

 monotonous vocal performance. 



