Chap. XXVII. LEADERS OF HERDS— HONEY-GUIDE. 547 



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 carnivorous 

 animal, and, thereby made unusually wary, had in consequence 

 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, 

 winch 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 probability that the separation of sexes into distinct herds, 

 winch 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 

 nights now, have the effect of leaving the old males behind. I 

 am inclined to believe this, because, though the antelopes, as the 

 pallahs, &c, 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 

 Maundo, 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 some- 

 times 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 anything 

 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 3rd we crossed the river Mozuma, or river of Dila, 

 having travelled through a beautifully undulating pastoral country. 



2 n 2 



