46 TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 
insects I stirred up with my feet. I watched one with 
a fly in its beak, which it released again and again, 
always swooping after it and recapturing it, just like a 
cruel otter with its fish. 
I tried to find some of the nests of the little sun- 
birds. I believe they dome them, but no one quite 
knows why. It was once thought that it was done to 
hide the brilliant colours of some feminines from birds 
of prey, but it is done by some plain ones as well. 
Some birds lock up their wives in the nests ; they must 
be a frivolous species ! 
Many of the honey-suckers are quite gorgeous when 
looked at closely — especially the green malachite 
ones, which have a bright metallic appearance. I 
also watched some little russet finches performing 
those evolutions associated with the nesting season 
only. They rose clapping their wings together above 
them, producing a noise somewhat similar to our own 
hands being clapped, and when at the top of their 
ascent they uttered a single note and then shut up as if 
shot, descending rapidly until close to the ground, 
when they open their wings again and alight most 
gently. The single note is the love song, and the other 
extraordinary performance is the love dance. It 
must be attractive, as it is done by the male only, and 
only in the breeding season. 
Farther on I got into a perfect little covey of sun- 
birds flying about and enjoying themselves. Every 
now and again one would settle on a flowering shrub 
with crimson blossoms, and dip its curved long beak 
into the cup and suck out the honey. The male of this 
