164 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 



Livingstone has recorded his having met with flocks 

 of this species and of its congener, B. erytJirorhyncha, 

 "roosting on reeds in spots where neither tame nor 

 wild animals were to be found"*. 



* The arrival of these birds is announced by a sharp cry ; 

 and the next moment they may be seen in a little flock 

 descending fearlessly on and amongst the cattle, which 

 are at first much alarmed, and run about in wild confu- 

 sion just as they do when troubled with gadflies ; but 

 their apprehensions are soon dispelled and exchanged 

 for sensations of evident pleasure as the Oxpeckers run 

 over their backs, sides, and bellies, like Woodpeckers 

 upon trees, except when an ox, by an occasional jerk 

 or sudden twist, appears to indicate that the claws of 

 the bird have caused something like pain by touching 

 some spot where the skin of the animal happens to be 

 tender. 



The iris in this species is orange, but in one specimen 

 which I obtained it was greyish green, and the bill dark 

 horn-colour instead of the usual coloration of yellow 

 tipped with red. 



[Mr. Andersson, in his work entitled " Lake Ngami," refers 



at p. 214 to the habits of this bird as above detailed, and adds 



that it " is also a frequent companion of the rhinoceros, to which, 



* besides being of service in ridding him of many of the insects 



/ \/ that infest his hide, it performs the important part of sentinel. 



On many occasions has this watchful bird prevented me from 



getting a shot at that beast : the moment it suspects danger it 



flies almost perpendicularly up into the air, uttering sharp 



shrill notes that never fail to attract the attention of the rhino- 



* Missionary Travels, p. 546. 



