272 BIRD-PARASITES 



to Zululand, and has been recently recorded from the 

 Northern Transvaal by L. E. Taylor. 



We give an illustration of an unfledged young bird of 

 this species, showing the remarkable development of the 

 beak. This specimen was taken from the nest-hole in a 

 wiLlow-tree, belonging to a pair of Diamond Sparrows 

 {Petronia petronella). The Honey-guide had previously 

 been seen in the tree, and we found no young sparrows, 

 these having evidently been ejected by the young Honey- 

 guide. 



On one occasion when encamped near the Zwartkops 

 Eiver in the neighbourhood of Uitenhage, one of these 

 birds led us on six different occasions to Bees' nests. The 

 bird would come and perch on some tree close to the camp 

 and commence calling " cha, cha, cha " to attract our 

 attention. We followed it as it flitted before us from tree 

 to tree, and eventually located the nest, while the little 

 guide flew round us, keeping in the neighbourhood of the 

 place, but not coming up to the spot. 



The Lesser Honey-guide (Indicator minor) is of an olive 

 tinge above, greyer on the head and neck ; ear-coverts 

 whitish bordered below by a dark stripe ; under-surface 

 greenish-grey, fading into whitish on the abdomen and under 

 tail-coverts. Length, 6|- inches. It is the commonest and 

 most widely distributed species, being found in all the 

 wooded tracts. Like the other members of the family it 

 goes about singly or in pairs, and feeds on bees, wax, honey 

 and various insects. The Black-collared Barbet is the 

 usual host of this little Honey-guide, and we append a photo- 

 graph of one of these guides sitting near the entrance to the ■ 

 nest hole of one of the Barbets ; the head of the Barbet 

 may be seen protruding from the aperture. When encamped 

 in a gorge near Bluekrantz in the Uitenhage division of the 



