Letters, Extracts, Notices, S^c. 691 



He now gives a list of these additions^ enumerating some 30 

 of the former and 7 of the latter. 



135. Wood on Hume's Bush-Quail. 



[Note on Hume's Bush-Quail {Microperdix manipurensis) . By Captain 

 H. S. Wood. J. A. S. B. Ixviii. pt. 2, p. 110.] 



Capt. Wood states that Hume's Bush-Quail [Microperdix 

 manipurensis) is by no means such a rare bird at Manipur as 

 Mr. Hume supposed. During his seven years' residence there 

 Capt. Wood shot more than 80 specimens. D3tails as to the 

 nesting and habits of the species are given. 



XLV. — Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 



We have received the following letters, addressed "to the 

 Editors of 'The Ibis'^':— 



SiRs^ — As I understand that some doubts are still expressed 

 as to the truth of the extraordinary instinct attributed to 

 the Honey-guide of attracting natives and travellers to bees'- 

 nests (see above, p. 425), I beg leave to offer you the 

 following account of my own experience in this matter : — 



In October and November 1898, I was on a hunting- 

 expedition in the province of Mozambique, in Portuguese 

 East Africa. Starting from a station on the Beira Railway, 

 I explored the country to the north of the Pungwee River 

 for about sixty miles, accompanied by some twenty native 

 carriers. 



One day my boys brought me some honey to eat, and 

 Avhen I asked them how they had obtained it, they replied 

 that the Honey-bird had guided them to the nest. Having 

 heard the story of the Honey-guide before, I was much 

 interested, and desired the boys, when they found the 

 Honey-bird calling to them again, to be sure and let me 

 know, as I wished to see the bird and its method of attracting 

 attention. A few days later, on returning to camp, I found 

 some of my boys absent, and was told that they were 

 engaged in taking a bees'-nest. On proceeding to the spot. 



