198 BULLETIN 208, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Lyhius torquatus (Diimont). Black-collared barbet. 



Bucco torquatus Dumont, Dictionnaire des sciences naturelle, ed. Levrault, vol. 

 4, p. 56, 1816. (Brazil, error=South Africa; Goffin, Museum d'Histoire 

 Naturelle des Pays-Bas, Revue M^thodique . . ., No. 15, Buccones, p. 4, 1863.) 



At least three races of this species are known to be victims of the 

 lesser honey-guide, but inasmuch as most of the records pertain to the 

 South African race, the discussion will be given here for the whole 

 species and only the actual records outlined under the other two 

 subspecies. 



The black-collared barbet is the most frequently reported host of 

 the lesser honey-guide from the vicinity of Lake Mweru and Nyasaland 

 south to the Cape Province. Some 15 definite records and at least 

 as many more indefinite ones have come to my attention. 



Ivy (1901, pp. 21-22) saw a lesser honey-guide trying to enter a 

 nesting hole of one of these barbets in the eastern Cape Province. It 

 was driven off b}'- the male barbet which w as joined shortly by its mate. 

 In about five minutes the Indicator returned and the episode was 

 repeated many times for about an hour in all. The honey-guide then 

 was shot and was found to have an egg protruding from the vent. In 

 the barbet's nest were two barbet eggs. 



Other observers have recorded similar occurrences. Thus, Gilges 

 (1939) on the Umtata River, Transkei, Cape Province, watched a 

 lesser honey-guide attempting to enter a nest of this barbet. "While 

 one of the Barbets was sitting in the nest, the other partner very 

 noisily tried to chase the intruder away, in which ... it did not 

 succeed. Watching the persistency of the Honeyguide, which . . . 

 favours the Black-collared Barbet as the futiu-e foster parent of its 

 offspring, for over 20 minutes, we came to the conclusion that a fuUy 

 developed egg was about to be deposited. The examination of ths 

 specimen later showed, however, that none of the eggs was bigger 

 than a lentU. Apparently the bird marks the nest down in 

 advance . . . " 



To take another instance, this time from Dowa, Nyasaland, Benson 

 (1940, pp. 429-430) on October 9 watched "a Lyhius torquatus with 

 just its head protruded out of a hole in a tree, watching the scene now 

 to be described, while another Lyhius torquatus was doing its utmost 

 to keep an Indicator minor away from the hole. The Honey-guide 

 would alight on a branch near the hole, only to be immediately driven 

 away. The Barbet would keep up a scolding note all the time, rather 

 like the chatter of a Turdoides jardinei. Finally the Honey-Guide 

 would fly right away, hotly pursued by the Barbet. Three days later 

 this same performance was again witnessed, except that this time there 

 was no Barbet in the hole, and the Honey-Guide succeeded in entering 

 it. Presumably it wished to lay its egg in the Barbet's nesting-hole." 



