THE HONEY RATEL 



seeks to attract attention. When it observes it is 

 being followed, it flies from branch to branch, 

 chattering and fluttering its wings until the hive 

 is reached. It is asserted by many that the ratel 

 follows the Honey Guide bird, and in this way dis- 

 covers bees' hives. Naturalists have not yet agreed 

 to accept this statement as fact, but from my experi- 

 ence of the ratel in the wild condition and in cap- 

 tivity, I should certainly give it credit for possessing 

 sufficient intelligence and cunning to follow one of 

 these birds. After all, it does not involve any great 

 degree of intelligence. The practical naturalist, 

 who has lived out in the wilds amongst the denizens 

 of veld, forest, and mountain, knows that the ways 

 and habits of a large number of animals indicate 

 as much intelligence and reasoning ability as most 

 primitive races of men, and that many of their 

 habits could, with advantage, be copied by what 

 are termed the civilised races of men. 



It would be comparatively easy for the ratel to 

 learn to recognise the meaning of the Honey Guide's 

 actions as clearly as did the pygmy Bushmen and 

 the Hottentots of the past. The Honey Guide 

 would no doubt be well aware of the ratel's love 

 for honey, and its wasteful habit of scraping out 

 the entire contents of the nest, and that in conse- 

 quence there would be a sumptuous feast of bee 

 grubs for it when the ratel had retired. Knowing 

 this, it would make every effort to get the ratel to 

 follow it to a hive. Seeing a bird apparently crippled, 



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