132 HONEY-GUIDE. 



outer ones gradually shorter than each other, the 

 most exterior one being shortest : the feathers are 

 short, hard, and pressed close to the body : the 

 skin is thick, and the fibres so close that it is diffi- 

 cult to pierce it even with a pin, an admirable 

 provision of nature to guard these birds against 

 the stings of the bees, as it forms an almost im- 

 penetrable coat of mail. 



Sparrman first described the Honey-guide, which 

 he placed in the genus Cuculus, to which it is only 

 related in having the toes placed two and two ; 

 but it is to him we are indebted for the following 

 history of its economy, which is to be found in the 

 Philosophical Transactions, vol. 67, p. 38. " This 

 curious species of Cuckow," says Dr. Sparrman," is 

 found at a considerable distance from the Cape of 

 Good Hope, in the interior parts of Africa, being 

 entirely unknown at that settlement. The first 

 place I heard of it was in a wood called the Groot- 

 Vaader's Bosch, the Grand-father's Wood, situated 

 in a desert near the river which the Hottentots 

 call T'kaufkai. The Dutch settlers thereabouts 

 have given this bird the name of Honiguyzer, or 

 Honey-guide, from its quality of discovering wild 

 honey to travellers. Its colour has nothing strik^ 

 ing or beautiful ; its size is smaller than that of 

 our Cuckow in Europe ; but in return the instinct 

 which prompts it to seek its food in a singular 

 ipanner is truly admirable. Not only the Dutch 

 and Hottentots, but likewise a species of qua- 

 druped named Ratel (probably a new species of 

 JJadger), are frequently conducted to wild 



