THE HONEY RATEL 
seeks to attract attention. When it observes it is 
being followed, it flies from branch to branch, 
chattering and fluttering its wings until the hive 
is reached. It is asserted by many that the ratel 
follows the Honey Guide bird, and in this way dis- 
covers bees’ hives. Naturalists have not yet agreed 
to accept this statement as fact, but from my experi- 
ence of the ratel in the wild condition’ and in cap- 
tivity, I should certainly give it credit for possessing 
sufficient intelligence and cunning to follow one of 
these birds. After all, it does not involve any great 
degree of intelligence. The practical naturalist, 
who has lived out in the wilds amongst the denizens 
of veld, forest, and mountain, knows that the ways 
and habits of a large number of animals indicate 
as much intelligence and reasoning ability as most 
primitive races of men, and that many of their 
habits could, with advantage, be copied by what 
are termed the civilised races of men. 
It would be comparatively easy for the ratel to 
learn to recognise the meaning of the Honey Guide’s 
actions as clearly as did the pygmy Bushmen and 
the Hottentots of the past. The Honey Guide 
would no doubt be well aware of the ratel’s love 
for honey, and its wasteful habit of scraping out 
the entire contents of the nest, and that in conse- 
quence there would be a sumptuous feast of bee 
grubs for it when the ratel had retired. Knowing 
this, it would make every effort to get the ratel to 
follow it toa hive. Seeing a bird apparently crippled, 
149 
