Expedition to the Zambesi River. 425 



and all disappearing down their throats^ greatly to our 

 amusement. 



It tlierefore appears that the presence of this bird under 

 certain conditions (this instance, for example) affords the 

 native a clue as to the whereabouts of honey ; but the belief 

 that the birds of this genus will actually guide the traveller 

 to bees'-nestSj and even to dangerous places such as the lair 

 of the leopard or lion, seems to be one of the fallacies of 

 popular natural history, having chiefly emanated from 

 hunters and explorers. 



I do not remember skinning tougher birds ; it was next 

 to impossible to tear the skin, which, when dry, became like 

 stiff parchment. 



We procured a good series of this Indicator, which is by 

 no means demonstrative ; the note is nearly always uttered 

 on the wing. A male shot on October 27 has the upper parts 

 and the dark portions of the tail-featiiers ashy brown, while 

 the feathers are much abraded, especially those of the greater 

 and lesser wing-coverts. The l)ill is whitish horn-colour. 

 At the end of December, the specimens obtained were in 

 the process of moult. The new feathers of the upper parts and 

 tail are dark brown_, contrasting strongly with the old 

 bleached ashy-brown feathers, and imparting to the upper 

 parts a very mottled appearance. The bills are brownish 

 horn-colour. The sexual organs of these specimens were 

 approaching a breeding condition. 



16(J. Indicator major Steph. 



The only specimen obtained was a female, which corre- 

 sponds with one in the British Museum, from Fort Chi- 

 quaqua, INIashonaland. These specimens have no black on the 

 chins and throats, but otherwise are similar in plumage to 

 the adult male of this species. Nearly all the specimens in 

 the British Museum are immature males, with the feathers 

 of the chin and throat showing signs of becoming black. It 

 is quite possible, liowever, that the above-mentioned female 

 specimens may be immature, and that both sexes when fully 

 adult have the black chin and throat. 



