140 Capt. Boyd R. Horsbrugh,


when she was comfortably settled. They loved sharpening their

beaks on one's boots; and visitors always had to be warned not to

tread on them as they were everlastingly under one's feet

investigating boot laces.


We built a large run for them, with a nice hen-house in the

middle of it. This latter they inhabited at night and it was no

easy matter for the Kaffir to drive them in every evening. They

defied him and mocked him in every way — spreading their

wings and skipping about on their agile little legs until the

distracted Kaffir — who was not allowed to touch them — had very

often to call for assistance.


When they were let out of their run into the garden, —

which only occurred when there was some one by to be on the

look out for strange dogs, — a favourite trick of theirs was to

make a dash for the nearest fiat stone bordering the flower beds

and to wait beside it, stamping impatiently until it was turned

over, when there was a rush for any grubs, beetles or stone cock-

roaches that lay beneath it ; then off to the next stone, — over

with that, — and down with a delectable little scorpion !


When the garden was still in the process of making, these

two were a serious impediment to the gardener. They thought

he was employed to turn over stones for their special benefit,

and the unfortunate man could scarcely get his pick under a

stone before their eager little beaks were under it too.


Mr. Sclater states in his book that this is rather a scarce

bird, but although I have never seen many at a time I fancy it is

pretty widely distributed over the Orange River Colony. On the

majority of mornings when out 011 shooting trips the first sound

to reach my ears was the clear ringing cry of " K?wck-me-dozmi,

Knock-me-down, — me dow?i — me-down /" that the cock birds give

vent to at dawn.


I have seen dead birds for sale at the game market in

Bloernfontem in some numbers. They had generally been

killed with a bullet, and this hardly bears out Mr. Millais'

experience that the bird is tame and unsuspicious. Not that I

would doubt Mr. Millais' experience of them, but at the present

date I have found them — in the Orange River Colony at any

rate — extremely wild and very well able to take care of them-

selves.



