270 



GIRAFFE HUNTINCf. 



very much amused at the persistence and boldness of 

 the pursuit of a guinea fowl by a hobby. One would 

 have supposed that so small a bird of prey would 

 have been satisfied with a finch or dove, but 

 there are frequently biL^^ minds in small bodies, as 

 this circumstance proved. The guinea fowl had the 

 fortune to escape by gaining the shelter of some 

 dense brushwood, but it was only accomplished by 

 the proverbial narrow shave called " the hair of your 

 teeth." Yet, after the escape of the intended victim, 

 the little desperado patiently kept watch and ward 

 for nearly half an hour, in the vain hope that its in- 

 tended prey would again come forth. 



Next morning I took my shot gun, resolved to 

 add the persistent little marauder to my collection, 

 but it was gone, doubtless wearied with its long 

 , watch, to seek new hunting grounds. However, 

 I procured a far more beautiful ornithological trea- 

 sure, viz. a malachite-crested kingfisher {CorytJiornis 

 cyanostigma^ Sharpe's Cat), a very rare bird at the 

 best of times, and particularly more so when distant 

 from running water. It is in plumage a most ex- 

 quisite little beauty, rivalling in brilliancy of plumage 

 the finest emerald. Like our home bird, its flight is 

 so swift that it passes beyond the observer's range 

 of vision almost as fast as it is perceived. It was 

 perched upon a bough of one of the trees, only a {q\^ 

 feet above the surface of the water, and I doubt 

 much if my attention would have been attracted to it 

 but for the incessant rapidity with which it darted to 

 the vley and returned to its perch. This species has 

 a very distinct melancholy musical note, which it 

 invariably gave utterance to soon dS' "• it had 

 swallowed its tiny prey. As I had no very fine 

 shot, I opened a cartridge case, and filled up the part 

 tne coarse had occupied with sand, which answered 

 my purpose admirably, as the range was short. 

 However, I should not advise this example to be 



