THE LITTLE GREEN BEE-EATER 55 
swoops down on its prey and then back again to 
its perch to enjoy its food. This it will continue 
to do by the hour together, till, first stretching 
out one wing and leg, and then the other, it 
decides to set out for pastures new, and with an 
easy, long, sweeping flight, rising and then falling, 
it disappears from view. It is a very tame little 
bird, and is met with literally everywhere; but 
it is undoubtedly most fond of the wells with 
a few trees growing round them, or the gardens 
or palm-groves. I do not remember to have seen 
one actually on the ground, in which matter it is 
similar to all very short-legged birds, and its legs 
are very short. 
It is a melancholy fact to have to record that it 
is far too often shot by visitors; and worse, some- 
times now native boys catch it for the delectation 
of tourists, and, tying a bit of string round its 
legs, hold it as if it were perching naturally on 
their hands. They then offer it to tourists as a 
tame, pet bird, and I fear the tourist too often 
buys of them, for otherwise these utterly mercenary 
little rascals would not indulge in this traffic. 
Needless to say the poor bird always dies—indeed, 
is more often than not half-dead when in the boy’s 
hand, as its half-glazed eye only too plainly shows. 
