HIVE-BEES, 145 



from the oak, and are much more populous than our 

 common hives. 



Wild honey-bees of some species appear also to 

 abound in Africa. Mr Park, in his second volume 

 of travels, tells us" that some of his associates im- 

 prudently attempted to rob a numerous hive of its 

 honey, when the exasperated bees, rushing out to 

 defend their property, attacked their assailants with 

 great fury, and quickly compelled the whole com- 

 pany to fly. 



At the Cape of Good Hope the bees themselves 

 must be less formidable, or more easily managed, as 

 their hives are sought for with avidity. Nature has 

 there provided man with a singular and very effi- 

 cient assistant in a bird, most appropriately named 

 the Honey-Guide {Indicator major ^ Vieillot; Cu- 

 cuius indicator, Latham). The honey-guide, so far 

 from being alarmed at the presence of man, appears 

 anxious to court his acquaintance, and flits from 

 tree to tree with an expressive note of invitation, 

 the meaning of which is well known both to the 

 colonists and the Hottentots. A person invited by 

 the honey-guide seldom refuses to follow it on- 

 wards till it stops, as it is certain to do, at some 

 hollow tree containing a bee-hive, usually well stored 

 with honey and wax. It is probable that the bii-d 

 finds itself inadequate to the attack of a legion of 

 bees, or to penetrate into the interior of the hive, and 

 is thence led to invite an agent more powerful than 

 itself The person invited, indeed, always leaves the 

 bird a share of the spoil, as it would be considered 

 sacrilege to rob it of its due, or in any way to hurt 

 so useful a creature. 



The Americans, who have not tlie African honey- 

 guide, employ several well-known methods lo track 

 bees to their hives. One of the mcst common 

 though ingenious modes, is to place a piece of bee- 



VOL. IV. 13 



