274 ^ Breath from the Veldt 



Brenke fed on some sweet grass close by, when one of those remarkable little 

 birds, the honey-guide, came into the branches overhead and was most persistent 

 in his demands that I should follow him, and he would show me some honey. 

 But I was far too lazy to move, for the day was hot and I knew all about his 

 interesting little ways, having on two previous occasions taken honey from 

 trees to which the bird had led me. Otherwise I should certainly have gone, 

 for I have never seen greater tameness and persistency than that displayed by 

 the bird on this occasion. He kept flying away for short distances and then 

 returning, in evident distress that I was not following him. Each time he 

 returned he came closer and closer to me, and chattered louder and louder, till 

 at last he was within 5 feet of my head. Though sorry for his distress, the 

 sincerity of which I could not doubt, I reflected that the honey he would lead 

 me to might be only poor and watery ; so I just lay and watched him till 

 Van Staden and the donkeys came up. 



The rhinoceros-bird and the honey-guide (or, as the Dutch call him, 

 " Honung vogel ") are the most interesting birds the traveller encounters. 

 The marvellous reasoning power of the latter seems to demand some better 

 word than instinct. As its name implies, it is excessively fond of honey, but 

 as it cannot extract it from the holes in trees where he knows it to be, he calls 

 man to his assistance to dig it out for him. Mentally marking every nest of 

 bees in a certain locality, he hangs around till he meets with a friendly biped, 

 to whom he makes known his presence and his desire by a pleasant chuckling 

 note. This he keeps up incessantly as long as the man is in view. Then 

 after a short undulating flight of about 100 yards, he generally alights on a 

 dead bough, so as to make himself as conspicuous as possible, and loudly 

 continues his chuckling. If not attended to, he returns again and again with 

 increasing audacity, as I have previously described ; but if followed he waits 

 till the man comes within fifty yards, and then continues his flights, which 

 vary from 100 to 200 yards, till the nearest nest is discovered. There is pretty 

 sure to be a dead bough about, or the bees would not be there ; and on this he 

 settles with his eyes towards the bees' nest. Or, if this hint be not sufficient, 

 he will go and perch himself in the mouth of the hole, so that the greatest 

 blockhead in the country cannot fail to find it. Piet Landsberg, who was fond 

 of honey and liked running after these birds, found no less than four bees' nests 

 in a short time — all shown to him by one bird. The nest is generally plastered 

 up with mud and not very difficult to extract ; and while you are engaged in 

 this operation the honey-guide sits quietly on the tree, trusting to your honour 



