THE MAU FOREST 
197 
and raining—spoor showed that a big herd had passed 
the bluff close by, apparently only a few minutes before ; 
followed on and again got close in—could hear them 
grazing and grunting, apparently within fifty to eighty 
yards; but no chance to see, much less shoot. Towards 
dawn fell in again, a herd of seven; but ere we over¬ 
hauled them the beasts had gained the sheltering 
forest.” 
That evening at sundown, a low booming call close 
by revived hope—though I feared it must be cows. No ! 
GREAT GROUND-HORNBILLS, ALARMED BY A PASSING EAGLE. 
these were great ground-hornbills (.Bucorvus cafer), big 
birds like turkeys, with red pendent wattles, strutting 
towards us. It was curious to observe how they squatted 
low to earth when a pair of Bateleur eagles passed over¬ 
head on their way to roost. A few minutes later night¬ 
jars appeared in splendid aerial gyrations. These birds 
( C . frenatus) kept up their “ churring ” all night, and 
at dawn our common British willow-wren was in half¬ 
song on March 6—the same feeble ditty with which he 
bids us farewell at home before finally quitting British 
shores towards the end of August. 
It irks to dwell on failures; but there occurred during 
this period at least six occasions when one “ turn of 
