birds' nests used for wadding. 213 



er fail to attract the attention of the rhinoceros, who, with- 

 out waiting to ascertain the cause, almost instantly seeks 

 safety in a precipitate flight. According to IVIr. Gumming, 

 these birds also attend upon the hippopotamus. 



Another bird (textoi- erythrorJiijnchus) is also in the habit 

 of feeding upon parasitical insects, but is said to restrict its 

 visits to the buffalo. In the part of Damara-land of which 1 

 am now speaking, that animal is unknown, yet the bird was 

 in very great numbers. It appeared to be very social in its 

 habits, living in colonies, and building its nest, which consists 

 of dry sticks, on lofty trees. 



We also made acquaintance with a small, sparrow-looking 

 bird, the amadina squamifrons, which deserves notice on ac- 

 count of its peculiar and interesting nest. According to Dr. 

 Andrew Smith, this is placed on a small shrub, and is con- 

 structed of grass. But in Damara-land and parts adjacent, 

 the materials are of a beautifully soft texture, not unlike 

 sheep's wool. I never could discover the plant from which 

 it was procured. The Hottentots use it as a substitute for 

 gun-wadding, and it is by no means a bad makeshift. The 

 nest is so strongly put together that one has difficulty in 

 separating it. When the old bird absents itself, it effectually 

 conceals the opening of the nest from view. Even long after 

 I was acquainted with this peculiarity, I was puzzled to find 

 it out. Just above the entrance is a small hollow, which has 

 no communication with the interior of the nest, but which, 

 by the uninitiated, is often mistaken for it. In this tube the 

 male bird sits at night. 



We occasionally fell in with Damara villages. In our 

 journey northward the natives had shown themselves ex- 

 cessively timid and suspicious, but now that they had so 

 many evidences of our peaceful intentions, they approached 

 our camp without the least reserve or hesitation; but we 

 could not induce them to part with any cattle, of which we 

 stood much in need. 



