46 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 



insects I stirred up with my feet. I watched one with 

 a fly in its beak, which it released again and again, 

 always swooping after it and recapturing it, just like a 

 cruel otter with its fish. 



I tried to find some of the nests of the little sun- 

 birds. I believe they dome them, but no one quite 

 knows why. It was once thought that it was done to 

 hide the brilliant colours of some feminines from birds 

 of prey, but it is done by some plain ones as well. 

 Some birds lock up their wives in the nests ; they must 

 be a frivolous species ! 



Many of the honey-suckers are quite gorgeous when 

 looked at closely — especially the green malachite 

 ones, which have a bright metallic appearance. I 

 also watched some little russet finches performing 

 those evolutions associated with the nesting season 

 only. They rose clapping their wings together above 

 them, producing a noise somewhat similar to our own 

 hands being clapped, and when at the top of their 

 ascent they uttered a single note and then shut up as if 

 shot, descending rapidly until close to the ground, when 

 they open their wings again and alight most gently. 

 The single note is the love song, and the other extra- 

 ordinary performance is the love dance. It must be 

 attractive, as it is done by the male only, and only in 

 the breeding season. 



Farther on I got into a perfect little covey of sun- 

 birds flying about and enjoying themselves. Every 

 now and again one would settle on a flowering shrub 

 with crimson blossoms, and dip its curved long beak 

 into the cup and suck out the honey. The male of this 



