586 LEADERS OF HERDS.— HONEY-GUIDE. 



half a minute or more where to direct the flight. On one occasion 

 I happened to shoot the leader, a young zebra mare, which at 

 some former time had been "bitten on the hind leg by a carnivo- 

 rous animal, and, thereby made unusually wary, had, in conse- 

 quence, become a leader. If they see either one of their own herd 

 or any other animal taking to flight, wild animals invariably flee. 

 The most timid thus naturally leads the rest. It is not any other 

 peculiarity, but simply this provision, which is given them for the 

 preservation of the race. The great increase of wariness which 

 is seen to occur when the females bring forth their young, causes 

 all the leaders to be at that time females ; and there is a prob- 

 ability that the separation of sexes into distinct herds, which is 

 annually observed in many antelopes, arises from the simple fact 

 that the greater caution of the she antelopes is partaken of only 

 by the young males, and their more frequent flights now have 

 the effect of leaving the old males behind. I am inclined to 

 believe this, because, though the antelopes, as the pallahs, etc., 

 are frequently in separate herds, they are never seen in the 

 act of expelling the males. There may be some other reason 

 in the case of the elephants ; but the male and female elephants 

 are never seen in one herd. The young males remain with 

 their dams only until they are full grown ; and so constantly is 

 the separation maintained, that any one familiar with them, on 

 seeing a picture with the sexes mixed, would immediately con- 

 clude that the artist had made it from his imagination, and not 

 from sight. 



December 2, 1855. We remained near a small hill, called Ma- 

 undo, where we began to be frequently invited by the honey- 

 guide (Cuculus indicator). Wishing to ascertain the truth of 

 the native assertion that this bird is a deceiver, and by its call 

 sometimes leads to a wild beast and not to honey, I inquired if 

 any of my men had ever been led by this friendly little bird to 

 any thing else than what its name implies. Only one of the 114 

 could say he had been led to an elephant instead of a hive, like 

 myself with the black rhinoceros mentioned before. I am quite 

 convinced that the majority of people who commit themselves to 

 its guidance are led to honey, and to it alone. 



On the 3d we crossed the River Mozuma, or River of Dila, 

 having traveled through a beautifully undulating pastoral country. 



