

THE HUNTER'S ARCADIA. 



encountered Kalmucks, Tartars, Chinese, Persians, 

 Arabs, and numerous black races, it may be safely as- 

 sumed they had not met such an uncharitable welcome 

 until they encountered a representative of civilised and 

 Christianised humanity. I suppose I am no worse than 

 my neighbours, and that they would have done as I 

 did ; still it is small credit to them as well as to myself. 

 The following day, as we drew close to our mid- 

 day halt, while marching at the head of our wagons, 

 I was solicited by one of those well-known specimens 

 of African ornithology, the little honey guide (In- 

 dicator minor) to follow it. Its efforts to attract 

 attention and its boldness in doing so at first strike 

 the inexperienced with surprise, for it not unfrequently 

 flies and hovers so close to the traveller's head as 

 to be almost within grasp of his hand. This bird 

 is a true cuckoo, and lays its eggs indiscriminately 

 in the nests of various species which are not large 

 enough to resent the intrusion. I fear the domestic 

 character of both sexes is really very bad, the ladies 

 light of love, the gentlemen inconstant, or they 

 would not be so destitute of affection as to desert 

 their progeny in this barefaced manner. I have 

 several times made the attempt to keep them in 



