510 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



unique habit of inducing other animals, not even excepting man, to hunt for them. 

 Sir John Kirk, writing of its habits in the Zambesi district, says : " The honey-guide is 

 found in forests and often far from water, even during the dry season. On observing a 

 man, it comes fluttering from branch to branch in the neighbouring trees, calling attention. 

 If this be responded to as the natives do by whistling and starting to their feet the bird 

 will go in a certain direction, and remain at a little distance, hopping from one tree to 

 another. On being followed, it goes further ; and so it will guide the way to a nest of bees. 

 When this is reached, it flies about, but no longer guides; and then some knowledge is 

 required to discover the nest, even when pointed out to within a few trees. I have known 

 this bird, if the man, after taking up the direction for a little, then turns away, come back 

 and offer to point out another nest in a different part. But if it does not know of two nests, 

 it will remain behind. The difficulty is that the bird will point to tame bees in a bark hive 

 as readily as to those in the forest. This is natural, as the bee is the same, the bark 



hive . . . being simply fastened up in a tree, and 

 left for the bees to come to. ... The object the 

 bird has in view is clearly the young bees. It will 

 guide to nests having no honey, and seems equally 

 delighted if the comb containing the grubs is torn 

 out, when it is seen pecking at it." 



An old rumour had it that honey-guides occasion- 

 ally lured men on to spots where lions or other large 

 and dangerous beasts lay hid. No credence what- 

 ever is now given to such tales, it being readily 

 understood that the bird's course may by accident 

 pass directly above perils of this kind, without the 

 slightest cognisance of this on the part of the bird. 



The honey-guide, however, presses into its service 

 one of the lower mammals the ratel. The fondness 

 of this animal for bees is well known, and by none 

 better than this little bird, which, by pointing out 

 nests to its more powerful companion, earns as a 

 reward the broken bits which remain after the feast. 

 Allies of the sombre-coloured Honey-guides are 

 the JACAMARS and PUFF-BIRDS. The former are rather 

 handsome birds, though small, having the upper-parts 

 of a metallic coppery golden green, and more or less 

 rufous below. Ranging from Mexico to South Brazil, 

 they may usually be found on the outskirts of forests, 

 near water, sitting perched on the bare rxnighs of lofty trees for hours at a time. They 

 feed on moths and other insects, caught on the wing, and brought back and crushed against 

 the bough before swallowing. They lay white eggs in the holes of trees. 



The PUFF-BIRDS, though closely allied to the foregoing, are more soberly clad. Black, brown, 

 and rufous in hue, they lack the resplendent metallic markings of the Jacamars. Their 

 geographical range extends from Guatemala and Honduras to Argentina. Though numerous 

 species and genera are known, the nest and eggs appear to have been discovered in the case 

 of one species only: these were found in a hole in a bank, and contained two shining 

 white eggs.- 



The BARBETS are possibly more closely related to the Honey-guides than the Jacamars and 

 Puff-birds. Brilliantly coloured, and having a plumage exhibiting violent contrasts of red, 

 blue, purple, and yellow, on a green ground, sometimes with crests, bare skin round the 

 eye, and brightly coloured bills, the barbets are, in spite of a somewhat hairy appearance, 

 exceedingly attractive birds. 



Phttc bj A. S. RudlanJ dr- Sam 



CURL-CRESTED TOUCAN 



So called from the curiously curled feathers on the head,, 

 resembling black and glistening shavings 



