Birds and Beasts that Bluff 



* 



and then strike through it at its antagonist in 

 some altogether unexpected place. 



Tactics of this kind are said to be a part of 

 the secret of the extraordinary success the 

 ground hornbill of South Africa has in killing 

 the dreadful puffing-adder and other deadly 

 snakes of that region which it likes to eat. On 

 discovering a snake three or four of the birds 

 advance sideways toward it with wings stretched 

 out and with their quills flap at and irritate 

 the snake till it strikes their wing-feathers, when 

 they immediately close in on all sides, and vio- 

 lently peck it with their long, sharp bills, 

 quickly withdrawing again when the snake lets 

 go. This they repeat until the snake is dead. 

 If the reptile advances the bird places both 

 wings in front of it, completely covering its 

 head and most vulnerable parts, just as does 

 the argus pheasant. 



All the lizards, having little ability for real 

 harm in them, are great braggarts, and seem 

 to know well how to profit by their spiny- 

 crested, diabolically ugly features. 



There is one sort, however, which has special 

 *$ 129 



