Recently published Ornithological Works. 275 



" As the bird's name implies, it is excessively fond of 

 honey, but as he cannot extract it from the holes in trees 

 where he knows it to be, he calls man to his assistance to 

 dig it out for him. Mentally marking every nest of bees 

 in a certain locality, he hangs around till he meets with a 

 friendly biped, to whom he makes known his presence and 

 his desire by a pleasant chuckling note. This he keeps up 

 incessantly as long as the man is in view. Then, after a 

 short undulating flight of about 600 yards, he generally 

 alights on a dead bough, so as to make himself as conspicuous 

 as possible, and loudly continues his chuckling. If not 

 attended to, he returns again and again with increasing 

 audacity, as I have previously described ; but if followed he 

 waits till the man comes within 50 yards, and then continues 

 his flights, which vary from 100 to 200 yards, till the nearest 

 nest is discovered. A dead bough is pretty sure to be 

 about, or the bees would not be there ; and on this he settles 

 with his eyes towards the bees'-nest. Or, if this hint is not 

 sufficient, he will go and perch himself in the mouth of the 

 hole, so that the greatest blockhead in the country cannot 

 fail to find it. Piet Landsberg, who was fond of honey, and 

 liked running after these birds, found no less than four 

 bees'-nests in a short time — all shown to him by one bird. 

 The nest is generally plastered up with mud and not very 

 difficult to extract; and while you are engaged in this opera- 

 tion the Honey-guide sits quietly on the tree, trusting to 

 your honour to give him a share of the plunder, which, I 

 need hardly say, is always done by the natives.'^ 



We may also call attention to Mr. Millais's account of the 

 birds met with on the Mzingwani River (p. 97), where he 

 describes the fish-eating habits of Halia'etus vocifer, the Pied 

 Kingfisher, the Roller, and other feathered inhabitants of 

 the district. 



53. Muirhead's ' Birds of Berwickshire.' 



[The Birds of Berwickshire, with Remarks on their Local Distribution, 

 Migration, and Habits, and also on the Folk-lore, Proverbs, Popular 



