256 TRAVELS IN 
The baakea of the governor was lefs a fubjeft of curiofity 
than one that appeared on the oppofite bank of the river. This 
was a clump of about half a dozen large buflies, the firft that 
had occurred for as many days ; yet the rarity of fruitefcent 
plants would not have attraded fo much notice, had it not been 
for the vaft number and fize of nefts with which they appeared 
to be loaded. Thefe were judged to be at leaft fufficiently 
large for the vultures that were hovering in the air, or for the 
large blue cranes that fat by the river's fide near them. On ap- 
proaching the bufhes, a numerous flock of birds, about the fize 
of the common fky-lark, iffued from them. The farmers, 
though unacquainted with the nefts, immediately recognifed 
the bird to be the locuft-eater, and rejoiced not a little at its 
appearance fo near the colony. This fpecies of thrufh is a 
migrating bird, and is only met with in places where the mi- 
grating locuft frequents. It had not been feen in the colony 
for the fpace of thirteen years ; that is to fay, fmce the laft 
time that the locufts infefted the Sneuwberg. The head, 
breaft, and back, are of a pale cinereous color ; the abdomen- 
and rump white ; wings and tail black, the latter fhort and a 
little forked ; from the angle of the mouth a naked area of ful- 
phureous yellow extends under the eye and a little beyond it ; 
and two naked black ftriGe under the throat. The fpecific 
name of gryU'ivorus may with propriety be given to it, as its 
whole food feems to confift of the larvse of this infed, at leaft 
when they are to be obtained. Nature has feldom given a 
bane but fhe has accompanied it with an antidote ; or, in other 
words, ftie has ordained that one half of the creation fhould 
deftroy and devour the other, that the conftant operations of 
repro- 
