-^ Stalking Expeditions in the Nyika 



they suddenly take to tli^'ht. soon to disappear in the dry 

 desert grass. The firmament is clothed in cloudless blue ; 

 the day will undoubtedly prove oppressively hot. The 

 animal world is awake all around us, and especially near 

 the brook. We turn out a pair of the immense ground- 

 hornbill [Bucorvus caffer), the " ol munguk " of the 

 Masai people, then a crowd of francolins. and also two 

 large coveys of guineaTbwl. In rising, these latter utter 

 their indescribable, peculiarly metallic cry. The wise 

 creatures soon plunge into the depths again and run 

 off into safe quarters with surprising rapidity. The rest 

 of the bird-world is also most actively busy ; the air is 

 thick with doves of different kinds ; the gurgle of the 

 turtle-dove, called "ndurgulju" by the Masai people, 

 fills the air ; strong coveys of sand-grouse Hy very 

 quickly over our heads to their drinking-places. or, 

 already having drunk their fill, go back into the desert. 

 The bushes near the brook are alive with the humming 

 and chirping of legions of little red Kaffir finches, which 

 find here lots of water and a generous feast of ripe 

 grasses. 



My attention is now aroused by some curious birds, 

 which turn out to be wood-hoopoes {Irnsor seiicga/ejisis 

 sonhi/ieiisis), the " el gononi " ot the Masai people, 

 whose shrill laucjhter, resounding: throucrh the bush, is 

 answered by the characteristic note ot the yellow hornbill 

 {S/u'zoj'/iis leitcogastei'). At a distance of two hundred 

 paces we now perceive three of the great Kori bustards 

 {Eii/>odoiis kori). They peer at us timidly and cautiously, 

 making cft^ with slow, measured pace, and with peculiarly 



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