194 HUNTING IN THE SOTIK [ch. viii 



seen, apparently more timid and less noisy beasts than 

 their bigger spotted brothers. 



One day Kermit had our first characteristic experience 

 with a honey-bird — a smallish bird, with beak like a 

 grosbeak's and toes like a woodpecker's — whose extra- 

 ordinary habits as a honey-guide are known to all the 

 natives of Africa throughout its range. Kermit had 

 killed an eland bull, and while he was resting his gun- 

 bearers drew his attention to the calling of the honey- 

 bird in a tree near by. He got up, and as he approached 

 the bird it flew to another tree in front and again began 

 its twitter. This was repeated again and again as Kermit 

 walked after it. Finally the bird darted rouiid behind 

 his followers, in the direction from which they had 

 come, and for a moment they thought it had played 

 them false. But immediately afterward they saw that 

 it had merely overshot its mark, and had now flown 

 back a few rods to the honey-tree, round which it was 

 flitting, occasionally twittering. When they came 

 toward the tree it perched silent and motionless in 

 another, and thus continued while they took some 

 honey — a risky business, as the bees were vicious. 

 They did not observe what the bird then did ; but 

 Cuninghame told me that in one instance where a 

 honey-bird led him to honey he carefully watched it 

 and saw it picking up either bits of honey and comb, or 

 else, more probably, the bee grubs out of the comb — he 

 could not be certain which. 



To my mind no more interesting incident occurred 

 at this camp. 



