HONEY-GUIDES 273 



male, the latter white in the female ; rest of under surface 

 dirty white. Length, about 7| inches. 



It is widely spread all over the African Continent, but 

 is nowhere exactly common within our borders. 



It is thoroughly parasitic in its habits ; we have talc en 

 its egg from the nest of the white-throated Swallow (Hirundo 

 albigularis), and from the nest-hole of the Wood Hoopoe 

 (Irrisor viridis). The egg is oval in shape, and pure creamy 

 white in colour (see centre figure, Row 3, page 276). 



The Yellow-throated Honey-guide (Indicator major) is 

 olive-brown above, the rump region being white ; ear- 

 coverts black ; throat and breast yellow, the rest of the 

 under surface being creamy- white. Length, 7 inches. 



This species is also found in most of the Bush and Forest 

 Regions of South Africa, and is not uncommon in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Grahamstown. Here Mrs. Barber observed it 

 using the nest-hole of the Black-collared Barbet. We found 

 an egg in the nest of a Drongo-shrike in November, 1894. 

 The bird usually — according to our experience — makes use 

 of the nest-hole of the Pied Starling. It seems as if the 

 Honey-guides occasionally break the eggs of the foster- 

 parent, to make room for their own. In row 2, left centre 

 figure, we give an illustration of the smaller egg of the Honey- 

 guide, along with a clutch of Syreo bicolor, two of which are 

 badly smashed. 



The Scaly-throated Honey-guide (Indicator variegatus) 

 has the forehead mottled, rest of head and neck greenish 

 merging into a bright olive on the back ; throat white 

 streaked with black ; breast yellowish mottled with dusky, 

 giving a scaly appearance to this region ; rest of under-parts 

 yellowish- white. Length, 1\ inches. 



It ranges from the south-eastern portion of Cape Province 



