196 THE ODYSSEY OF AN ANIMAL COLLECTOR 
of about three inches, with the lime thinly and evenly applied, 
leaving about an inch untouched at one end for easy handling. To 
set them, a small cut had to be made with a penknife in the twig 
on which a flower was growing, and then the non-sticky end of 
the prepared fern-rib inserted into this so that it jutted out at a 
convenient angle for a bird to sit on when about to feed from a 
flower. This had to be done so that the incision was deep enough 
to hold the limed twig in position, but also so that any movement 
on it would cause it to become detached. A number were set 
alongside the most inviting-looking flowers, and then I awaited 
developments below. 
The sunbirds soon flocked back to the tree and it was not long 
before one came floating gently down to earth, having perched on 
a prepared twig and dislodged it. In this way I successfully 
obtained species of sunbirds never before seen in captivity. The 
relief of not having to climb the tree again was even greater than 
the satisfaction of at last getting something that had proved so 
difficult. 
In the same district we were also successful in getting a pair of 
the quaint-looking White-crested Hornbills—birds unlike any 
other hornbills, with their white crests looking like bonnets, and 
their very long graduated tail-feathers. They appear to be more 
insectivorous than any other species inhabiting the forest. 
Owls were not uncommon and a pair of Fraser’s Eagle-owls 
was obtained. These fascinating birds with their lovely large 
brown eyes and their soft barred plumage are very handsome and 
become very tame, making charming intelligent pets. Equally 
beautiful, though small by comparison, was a pair of West Afri- 
can Wood Owls, with large black eyes and reddish-brown plu- 
mage, spotted with white. An owl could often be located in the 
daytime when it was roosting, if it had been seen by an inquisitive 
bulbul, for the latter would set up a chattering alarm-note which 
would quickly bring more bulbuls to the scene. As the chattering 
increased, other birds, especially sunbirds, would arrive to see the 
cause of the commotion. Eventually the owl would resent this un- 
wanted attention and fly off seeking a quieter spot, but usually 
followed by bulbuls, so if the owl only flew a short distance the 
mobbing would start afresh. 
