Chap. XXVII. BUFFALO AND RHINOCEROS BIRDS. 357 



rare a sight in Africa as one with tusks is hi Ceylon. Buffa- 

 loes abound, and we see large herds of them feeding in all 

 directions by day. When much disturbed they retire into 

 the densest parts of the forest, and come out to feed only by 

 night. We secured a fine large bull by crawling close to a 

 herd ; when shot, he fell down, and the rest, not seeing their 

 enemy, gazed about, wondering where the danger lay. Most 

 wild animals gore a wounded companion and expel him from 

 the herd; even zebras bite and kick a diseased one. It is 

 intended by this instinct that none but the perfect and 

 healthy ones should propagate the species. In this case the}' 

 manifested their usual propensity to gore the wounded, but 

 our appearance at that moment caused them to take flight. 

 The goring gave my men the impression that they were 

 helping away their wounded companion with brotherly affec- 

 tion. He was shot through both lungs; but though the ball 

 was two ounces in weight, and had penetrated right through 

 his body, he ran off some distance, and was secured only 

 by the people driving him into a pool of water and there 

 despatching him with their spears. The herd ran away in 

 the direction of our camp, and then came bounding past us 

 again. We took refuge on a large anthill ; and as they rushed 

 by us at full gallop I observed that the leader of the herd 

 was an old cow, carrying on her withers about twenty buffalo- 

 birds (Textor eiythrorhynchus, Smith). This singular bird acts 

 the part of guardian spirit to the buffalo : when the animal 

 is quietly feeding, it may be seen hopping on the ground 

 picking up food, or sitting on the buffalo's back ridding it of 

 the insects with which its skin is sometimes infested. When 

 danger approaches, the bird, having a much more acute 

 sight than the buffalo, is soon alarmed, and flies off, upon 

 which the buffalo instantly raises his head to discover the 

 cause which has led to the sudden flight of his guardian. It 

 sometimes accompanies the buffalo in its flight on the wing, 

 and at other times sits as above described. Another African 

 bird, called " kala" by the Bechuanas, the Buphaga Africana of 

 the naturalists, attends the rhinoceros for a similar purpose. 

 It cannot be said to depend entirely on the insects on that 

 animal, for its hard hairless skin is a protection against all 

 except a few spotted ticks ; but it seems to be attached to it, 



