THE RHINOCEROS BIRD. 293 



In the evening one of the parties sent out to seek for 

 the spoor of elephants returned to camp, stating that a 

 small tribe of Baivalahari, who resided in a range of 

 mountains to the east, reported these beasts to frequent 

 the forests in the vicinity of their abode, and Mutchu- 

 isiio, Sicomy's uncle, who attended me while hunting 

 his country, accordingly requested me to hold myself 

 in readiness to accompany him in quest of the elephants 

 at an early hour next day. It was customary with me 

 to console myself, when hope had almost died under a 

 long-continued run of bad luck, by saying to myself 

 that " Patience will have her perfect work ;" thus mak- 

 ing up my mind that a man who is a good stalker and 

 a fair rifle-shot must eventually obtain by perseverance 

 whatever game he seeks to kill. But in the present 

 instance things looked so bad that I had begun to think 

 it not improbable that I might be compelled to leave 



their voice is very similar to that of the mistletoe thrush. Many a time 

 have these ever-watchful birds disappointed me iu my stalli, aud tempt- 

 ed me to invoke an anathema upon tlieir devoted heads. They are the 

 best friends the rhinoceros has, and rarely fail to awaken him even in 

 his soundest nap. " Chukuroo" perfectly understands their warning, 

 and, springing to his feet, he genei'aUy first looks about him in every 

 direction, after which he invariably makes off. I have often hunted a 

 rhinoceros on horseback, which led me a chase of many miles, and re- 

 quired a number of shots before he fell, during which chase several of 

 these birds remained by the rhinoceros to the last. They reminded 

 me of mariners on the deck of some bark sailing on the ocean, for they 

 perched along his back and sides ; and as each of my bullets told on 

 the shoulder of the rhinoceros, they ascended about six feet into the 

 air, uttering their harsh cry of alarm, and then resumed their position. 

 It sometimes happened that the lower branches of trees, under which 

 the rhinoceros passed, swept tliem from their living deck, but they al- 

 ways recovered their formeu station ; they also adhere to the rhinoceros 

 daring the night. I have often shot these animals at midnight when 

 drinking at tiie fountains, and the birds, imagining they were asleep^ 

 remained with them till morning, and on my ap[)roaching, before tak 

 ing flight, they exerted themselves to their utmost to awaken Chuku 

 roo from his deep sleep. 



