eiRUS. I9j 



CHAP. VII. 



OF THE PARROT, AND ITS AFFINITIES. 



The Punot is the best known among us of all foreign hiuU, 

 as it unites the greatest beauty with the greatest docility. Its 



colour is riLsty groy, and whitp bpiieath ; the eyelids are naked, black; 

 Eluiuldurs with a yellow spot ; the tail is wedged, rusty ; the bill is brown at 

 the base, and surrounded with bristles, yellow at the tip ; feathers of the 

 thighs white, with a longitudinal black streak; the quill feathers above 

 browu, beneath grey brown ; first tail feathers very narrow, and rusty ; the 

 next sooty, the inner edge whitish ; the rest brown at the tip on the inner 

 web. 



The honey-guide cuckoo inhabits the interior parts of Africa ; is six inches 

 long ; is fond of honey ; and not being able to procure it from the hollows 

 of trees, by its note it is said to point it out to the inhabitants, who leave it 

 a part for its services, and so higlUy value it ou this account, that it is crimi- 

 nal to destroy it. 



Professor Spannaiin has given us the following remarkable account of the 

 honey cuckoo, which he first saw at the Cape of Good Hope. 



" This bird has nothing striking either in liis size or colour. On a super- 

 ficial view he appears very like the common grey sparrow, though he is 

 somewhat larger, and has more of a yellow tinge ; he has also a small yel- 

 low spot on each shoulder, and the feathers of his tail are streaked with 

 white. Properly speaking, it is merely self-interest that induces him to 

 show men where bees' nests are situated. For honey and bees' eggs are his 

 favourite food ; and he knows, that in plundering bees' nests a part is al- 

 ways lost, wliich will then fall to his share, or that a portion will be ex- 

 pressly allotted iiim, ^ a reward for his services. Nevertheless, the manner 

 iu wliich this bird executes his design is very remarkable. The morning 

 and evening seem to be his principal inca) times ; at least it is then that he 

 chiedy endeavours to attract the attention of men with his shrill voice. 

 They then approach the bird, who, continuing his cry, flies on towards the 

 place where the swarm of bees is to be found. They follow liim, taking 

 care not to make him too shy, either by much noise or by too numerous an 

 assemblage of people ; but answer from time to time with a very low- 

 whistle, to give him to understand that they are following Mm. I have ob. 

 served," says M. Sparmann, " that when the bees' nest was still at a greater 

 distance, the bird never halted till after a long flight, and then did it only 

 in order to let the bee-himters come up with him, and to solicit them anew 

 to proceed ; but as he came nearer to the nest, he always flew shorter dis- 

 tances at a time, and repeated his cry with greater earnestness and fre- 

 quency. When he has at length arrived at the nest, whether it be situated 

 in the cleft of a rock, or in a hollow tree, or under the ground, he Iiovers 

 for some moments over it, and then takes his station in a neighbouring tree 

 or bush, so that he cannot be seen by the men. Tliey are always snre 

 that they are near to a bees' nest wheu the bird is quite silent. When they 



