HONEY-GUIDES 



275 



Cape Province, we witnessed an instance of the persistence 

 with which the Honey-guides appropriate the nests of other 

 birds. We saw the bird fly to the nest-hole illustrated below, 

 and endeavour to enter. The male Barbet opposed this and 

 was afterwards assisted by his spouse, who fiercely attacked 

 the Honey-guide, pursuing it down the kloof, chattering and 

 fighting all the while. In a few minutes the Honey-guide 



Fig. 148. — Lesser Honey-guide at nest hole of Black-throated Barbet. 



reappeared and the same thing was repeated for over an hour. 

 We then shot all three of the birds and found the Honey- 

 guide with an egg actually protruding from the oviduct. Two 

 fresh eggs of the Barbet were found in the nest-hole (vide 

 Fig. 4, page 276), the centre egg is that of the Honey-guide. 



The Brown Honey-guide (Prodotiscus regulus) is brown 

 above and white below, the throat and flanks being washed 

 with brown. 



This is a rare bird in South Africa. 



