HONE Y-GUIDE 429 
no brilliant colour appears, and those of several genera have no 
special ornamentation, while some have a particularly plain appear- 
ance. One of the most curious forms is Prosthemadera—the Tui or 
PARSON-BIRD of New Zealand. ‘The BELL-BrRD of the same country 
(supra, p. 31), Anthornis melanura, is another member of this 
Family, and unfortunately seems to be fast becoming extinct, a fate 
ANTHORNIS. MELITHREPTSS VALIDIROSTRIS. 
(From Buller.) (After Swainson.) 
that is said to have already befallen the SrircH-BirD, Pogonornis, 
of the same country. But it would be impossible here to enter 
much further into detail, though the WATTLE-BIRDS, Anthochera, of 
Australia have at least to be named, and the FRIAR-BIRDS, Philemon, 
already mentioned (supra, pp. 292, 293), must again be noticed 
(Mimicry).  Melithreptas, with 5 or 6 species, all but one peculiar 
to Australia or Tasmania, considered by some writers to be allied 
to Zosterops, probably belongs here. 
HONEY-GUIDKE, a bird so called from its habit or supposed 
habit of pointing out to man and to the ratel (MJellivora capensis) 
the nests of bees. Stories to this effect have often been told, and 
may be found in the narratives of many African travellers, from 
Bruce to Livingstone. Yet Mr. Layard says (B. S. Africa, p. 242) 
that the birds will not unfrequently lead any one to a leopard or a 
snake, and will follow a dog with vociferations,! so that at present 
judgment may perhaps be suspended on the matter, though its 
antics and noisy cry unquestionably have in many cases the effect 
signified by its English name. If not its first discoverer, Sparrman, 
in 1777, was the first who described and figured this bird, which 
he met with in the Cape Colony (Phil. Trans. Ixvii. pp. 42-47, pl. 
i.), giving it the name of Cuculus indicator, its feet with the toes 
placed in pairs—two before and two behind—inducing the belief 
that it must be referred to that genus. Vieillot in 1816 elevated 
it to the rank of a genus, Indicator ; but it was still considered to 
belong to the Family Cuculide (its asserted parasitical habits lending 
force to that belief) by all systematists except Blyth and Jerdon, 
until it was shewn by Mr. Blanford (Obs. Geol. and Zool. Abyssinia, 
1 This is also a well-known habit with some Corvidx —the Jays and Pies for 
example. 
