THE MAU FOREST 



197 



and raining — spoor showed that a big herd had passed 

 the bluff close by, apparently only a few minutes before ; 

 followed on and amiin got close in — could hear them 

 grazing and grunting, apparently w^ithin fifty to eighty 

 yards ; but no chance to see, much less shoot. Towards 

 daw^n fell in again, a herd of seven ; but ere we over- 

 hauled them the beasts had gained the sheltering 

 forest." 



That evening at sundown, a low booming call close 

 by revived hope — though I feared it must be cows. No ! 



GREAT GROrXD-HORXBILLS, ALARMED BY A PASSING EAGLE. 



these were great ground-hornbills (Bucorvus cafer), big 

 birds like turkeys, with red pendent wattles, strutting 

 towards us. It was curious to observe how they squatted 

 low to earth when a pair of Bateleur eagles passed over- 

 head on their way to roost. A few minutes later night- 

 jars appeared in splendid aerial gyrations. These birds 

 ((7. frenatus) kept up their " churring " all night, and 

 at dawn our common British willow-wren was in half- 

 sonsc on March 6 — the same feeble ditty with which he 

 bids us farewell at home before finally quitting British 

 shores towards the end of August. 



It irks to dwell on failures ; but there occurred during 

 this period at least six occasions when one " turn of 



