Notes on South African Hunting, 47 
Zambesi Honey and Honey-Bird. 
in the evening. Some way before we got to 
the water the Scorpion heard a honey-bird. 
The honey-bird is a little fowl about the size of 
two sparrows. His occupation in life is to find 
wild bees’ nests, and then go to some place 
where men pass, and sit on a tree till some one 
comes. Then he chirrups cheerfully, and if 
one follows he leads him eventually to either a 
snake, a wild beast, or a bees’ nest. He may 
take one a hundred yards, or 20 miles : but if 
one follows him he always hits something. 
Now the Scorpion had been carrying a 
matter of golbs. all day ; but without a moment’s 
delay off he went after the honey-bird, and 
caught us up at the water with some lovely 
honey. As a reward we set him to cut wood 
and fetch water—duties he performed with an 
evident relish. The honey round the Zambesi 
has a peculiarly toothsome flavor about it ; 
neither does a large consumption of it appear 
to be attended with the usual direful results. 
Ayton and I ate about ten pounds in five days, 
and liked it. 
Next day w’^e got to a place called Leshuma 
•^about fifteen miles of quicksand only. Here 
