CRIES OF BIRDS. 51 



when disturbed, and only flutter on a yard or 

 two. I have more than once put my net over 

 them, and then taken them up and nursed them, 

 without their being in the least alarmed. One 

 little bird has a curious cry which sounds like 

 " Only a ha'penny a pair," uttered in the most 

 melancholy tones, and he goes on with this till 

 one feels inclined to say, " Pray go away, my 

 good bird ; I really have no halfpennies to spare." 

 I must not forget to mention the very shrill 

 and plaintive cry of a species of hornbill, which 

 flies in flocks so plaintive that it makes one 

 feel quite low-spirited after hearing it for some 

 time. 



The Kafir boys are constantly trapping the 

 little bigodas to sell to the white men. The 

 trap used is a cage made of palmwood, and 

 divided into three compartments, the centre oc- 

 cupied by a tame call-bird, whose song attracts 

 the others. The side compartments are pro- 

 vided with some tempting seed, and have a 

 spring top, which closes on the poor little bird 

 when he ventures in. If the boys would only 



