MATTERS, INCLUDING PETS AND INSECTS 



dows. Somehow we could not summon up courage 

 to eat any, to taste what they were like, though 

 some friends had a few cooked for dinner ; they 

 were fried and were rather like whitebait they told 

 us afterwards. 



As the cloud of locusts passed over, and disap- 

 peared in the distance, hundreds dropped to the 

 ground, either tired or knocked down by their fel- 

 lows. These were eagerly eaten up by curious long- 

 legged birds called locust-birds, which always follow 

 in the wake of a plague of locusts ; these birds have 

 tremendous wings and equally long legs and neck. 



In a bush not far from our bungalow there was 

 a large swarm of wild bees, which I insisted upon 

 taking, that is to say my husband and Baruku did 

 the taking, while I looked on. 



We made a box into a hive, and they settled 

 down nicely after a good deal of fuss. A few were 

 still left on the bush, so next day I visited them, 

 and a bee grew very excited and followed me and 

 my fox-terrier puppy John, which I had to carry 

 for protection, whirling my sunshade round and 

 round to keep the persistent bee off Unfortunately, 

 before we got any honey, during the heavy rains 

 some months later, my bees came to an untimely 

 end and were washed out. Often a swarm will 

 settle between the tin and wood of a bungalow, 

 which makes it unpleasant for the occupant, for 

 they insist upon occupying the verandah, and on one 



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