NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



Bird {lexor niger). These little birds feed upon 

 the ticks which plague these beasts. They act as 

 sentinels to their hosts, and extremely vigilant ones 

 they are too. The White Egret (Hcrodias garzettd) 

 is another bird which is often seen perched on the 

 backs of Buffaloes, and owing to its long neck 

 it is able to get an excellent view of the neighbour- 

 hood, and warns its host of the approach of an 

 enemy. 



Buffaloes usually rest in the shade of trees during 

 the daytime, and resort to water in the evening to 

 drink and bathe, after which they feed till about 

 midnight. Then they rest and chew the cud till 

 dawn, when they once again resort to water for a 

 drink before settling down for the day. 



They delight to wallow in the muddy pools, 

 and plaster themselves with mud, finding it, no 

 doubt, a protection against blood-sucking flies and 

 other parasites which plague them during the warm 

 season of the year. 



On the advent of the breeding season the adult 

 males light fiercely with each other, and the van- 

 quished bulls are driven forth into exile. The 

 calves are born during the summer months, viz. 

 from September to March. Selous states they are 

 born during January, February and March ; and 

 Major Stevenson-Hamilton says that in the Trans- 

 vaal Game Reserve and near Gondokoro on the 

 Upper Nile he has noticed young calves in September 

 and October. 



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