a Pair of Tame Ground-IIornh'ills. 95 



me at present, measures just three inches by 1-25, is well 

 studded with largo and small fragments of chitin, and is 

 somewhat pointed at the ends. Various beetles which 

 I have not mentioned above figure fairly largely in the 

 pellets. Meat is more or less enjoyed^ and even carrion 

 attacked, charily, when the birds are really hungry, 

 but they are by no means fond of it, and are, in any 

 case, no good at tearing meat to pieces. They trv to do 

 so by merely dragging it about and "worrying" it. 

 When hungry they will also eat fruits of various kinds, and 

 even mealies and other grains and coffee-berries and coffee- 

 beans. I believe, however, that their depredations in the 

 latter direction are not large, otherwise I should hardly feel 

 justified in keeping them. In any case, though so useful, 

 they are no unmixed blessing. They spoil the thatch in their 

 search for insects, they icouhl kill the chickens if we kept 

 them, and they make it necessary for me to hedge about with 

 precautions the sunning of my other birds and any breedino- 

 or other experiment that I may wish to conduct out of doors: 

 and many a serious loss they have caused me. Seed, too 

 put out to dry, is at once scattered, and they take a delight 

 in getting onto the mealie-stands and picking off and 

 dropping to the ground the tied-together cobs until they are 

 detected and chased. Even when chased, nothing — sticks 

 clods, close personal pursuit — will induce them to do more 

 than saunter along in the most unconcerned manner — notliino- 

 except a certain small dog who sometimes lends her aid. At 

 the same time they are thoroughly intelligent, and beoin to 

 slowly move off as soon as they hear one of us call the 

 kitchen-boy, whose duty it usually is to dismiss them. But 

 the moment the pursuit ceases back they come at once. 

 This sluggishness quite possibly accomiDanies qualities calcu- 

 lated to deter the species' enemies, as does the sluggishness 

 of many insects ; but my ex[)erience is that of Mr. Sclater 

 with regard to the absence of any "evil stench. '^ My birds 

 smell very slightly indeed, and not offensively even when 

 one puts one's nose to them. They certainly cannot bo 

 compared to a Wood-hoopoe in this respect. 



VOL. IX. 7 



