16 ]\Ir. (J. L. Bates — Fiehl-Xofes on the 



near our camp, oue at a time, on different clays. They were 

 seen, each time, sitting silently, watching the bees buzzing 

 about the camp, I think, for bees are attracted to a little 

 fresh clearing in the forest. The stomach-contents of the 

 birds were mainly particles of wax, mixed with bits of 

 insects, and had a smell of honey ; but sometimes there were 

 only bits of insects. These birds have the toughest skin of 

 any that I know ; it is like strong yellow parchment. All 

 of them had much fat underneath it. The tough skin, and 

 perhaps the fat also, must be a protection against bee-stings. 

 I never heard these birds or any other Indicator make a 

 sound. My boys told me that the '* Mali," as they call all 

 the species of this genus, makes a little cheeping cry of 

 "Woe! woe" ("woe" means " honey ^'). They say that 

 sometimes, on going to where the bird is, they find honey. 

 But the natives here know nothing about following it through 

 the forest; indeed, this would be a difficult thing, even for a 

 native, to do. 



653. Indicator conirostris. [Mali.] 



Sharpe, Ibis, 1907, p. 440. 



A very young bird (No. 2416), obtained later than those 

 ■which have been reported on in Dr. Sharpens paper, is 

 interesting because of the place in which it was found. It 

 Mas taken in the hole of an Ovol (Heliobucco bonupartii). 

 In other holes in the same dead tree were birds of that 

 species; but the little Indicator was found in its hole alone, 

 so that it formed, apparently, the entire family of its foster- 

 parents. In its stomach was found, besides insects, the 

 fruit of the "asen" tree, i. e. the usual food of the Barbet, 

 but not of the Honey-Guide. 



This bird is too young to shew certainly to what species 

 it belongs, except that it is already too large to be Indicator 

 ea:ilis. The only other species obtained thus far at the J a is 

 /. conirostris, and the young bird looks like that species. 



I have noticed in examples of different species of Indicator 

 that the rim of the nostrils forms a raised ring, which is not 

 seen in a specimen after the skin becomes dry. 



(See my note in The Ibis/ 1904, p. 89.) 



