44 Dr. Sparkman's Account of 
fome fcraps are commonly left for its fupport. The morn- 
ing and evening are its times of feeding, and it is then 
heard calling in a fhrill tone cherr , cherr , which the honey- 
hunters carefully attend to as the fummons to the chace. 
From time to time they anfwer with a loft whiftle, which 
the bird hearing, always continues its note. As boon as 
they are in fight of each other, the bird gradually flut- 
ters towards the place where the hive is fituated, conti- 
nually repeating its former call of cherr, cherr : nay, if it 
flioukl happen to have gained a confiderable way before 
the men (who may eafily be hindered in the purfuit by 
bullies, rivers, and the like) it returns to thenii again, and 
redoubles its note, as if to reproach them with their in- 
adtivity. At laft the bird is obferved to hover for a few 
moments over a certain fpot, and then filently retiring to 
a neighbouring bufh or other refling-place, the hunters 
are lure of finding the bees nefi in that identical fpot, 
whether it be in a tree, or in the crevice of a rock, or (as 
is moft commonly the cafe) in the. earth. Whilft the 
hunters are bufy in taking the honey, the bird is feen 
looking on attentively to what is going forward, and wait- 
ing for its lhare of the fpoil. The bee-hunters never fail 
to leave a fmall portion for their conductor, but commonly 
take care not to leave fomuch as would fatisfy its hunger. 
The bird’s appetite being only whetted by this parfimony, 
it 
a 
