THE CROCODILE 



221 



see the bird engaged in such an interesting occupation 

 but without success, and I have never met with a 

 hunter or traveller who has seen it at this work. Even 

 Livino'stone durino- the whole time he was in Africa 

 " never witnessed this friendly act." The boatmen on 

 the White Nile point out a plover which they call 

 (yltafiir (watchman) for tlie following reason : When a 





The Plover {Plurianiis tegyplirns) is as useful to crocodiles as the 

 oxpecker to cattle and kudus. This plover was known to 

 Herodotus, who refers to it as the Trorhilus. 



boat approaches crocodiles lying on the banks or sand- 

 spits, the bird flies up twittering and warns the sleeping 

 reptiles. The buff-backed heron {Bnhulcus lucidus), 

 sometimes called the cow-heron, picks leeches, &c., 

 from crocodiles as well as ticks from cattle and 



elephants. 



These dutiful liirds are useful 



for whilst hunting 



