318 
ABUNDANCE OF WATERFOWL. 
fowl. Some of tho sand-banks appear whitened during 
tho day with flocks of pelicans ; I once counted throe hun- 
dred ; others aro brown with ducks, ( Anas histrionica ,) — 1 
got fourteen of these by ono shot, — ( Querquedula Hottentota , 
Smith,) and other kinds. Great numbers of gulls, ( Proeel 
laria turiur, Smith,) and several others, float over tho sur- 
face. Tho vast quantity of small birds which food on in- 
sects show that the river teoms also with spocimons of 
minuto organic life. In walking among bushes on the 
banks, wo aro occasionally stung by a hornot, which makes 
its nest in form liko that of our own wasp, and hangs it 
on tho branches of trees. Tho brooding trropp] is so strong 
in this insect that it pursues any ono twenty or thirty 
yards who happons to brush too closoly past its nost. Tho 
sting, which it trios to inflict noar tho oyo, is moro liko a 
discharge of electricity from a powerful machine, or a 
violent blow, than aught else. It produces momentary 
insensibility, and is followed by tho most pungent pain 
Yot this insoct is quito timid when away from its nest 
It is named Murotuani by tho Bochuanas. 
Wo have tsetso between Namota and Sokhosi. An in- 
soct of prey, about an inch in length, long-logged and 
gaunt-looking, may bo observed flying about and lighting 
upon tho baro ground. It is a tiger in its way, for it 
springs upon tsotso and othor flios, and, sucking out their 
blood, throws tho bodies asido. 
Long beforo reaching Seshckowehad been informed that 
a party of Matcbclo, tho peoplo of Mosilikatse, had brought 
somo packages of goods for mo to tho south bank of the 
river, near Victoria Falls, and. though they declared they 
had been sent by Mr. Moffat, tho Makololo had refused to 
credit tho statement of their sworn enemies. They ima- 
gined tho parcels were directed to me as a mere trick 
whereby to place witchcraft-medicino in tho hands of the 
Makololo. When tho Matcbclo on tho south bank called to 
the Makololo on tho north tc como ovor in eanoos and re- 
