HONEY-GUIDES 



273 



Cape Colony, we witnessed an instance of the persistence 

 with which the Honey-guides appropriate the nests of other 

 birds. We saw the bird fly to the nest hole illustrated above, 

 and endeavour to enter. The male Barbet opposed this and 

 was afterwards assisted by his spouse, who fiercely attacked 

 the Honey-guide, pursuing it down the kloof, chattering and 

 fighting all the while. In a few minutes the Honey-guide 



Fig. 138. — Lesser Honey-guide at nest hole of Black- throated Barbet. 



reappeared and the saihe thing was repeated for over an hour. 

 We then shot all three of the birds and found the Honey- 

 guide with an egg actually protruding from the oviduct. Two 

 fresh eggs of the Barbet were found in the nest hole {vide 

 Pig. 139, page 274, row 1 ); the centre egg is that of the 

 Honey-guide. 



The Brown Honey-guide {Prodotiscus regulus) is brown 

 above and white below, the throat and flanks being washed 

 with brown. 



This is a rare bird in South Africa. 



T 



