Chap. XXX. 
CONFINEMENT OF THE KORWE. 
613 
an obstacle to the giraffe, supposing it to have come into that 
district from the south; but the broad river into which that stream 
flows, seems always to have presented an impassable barrier to 
both the giraffe and the ostrich, though they abound on its 
southern border, both in the Kalahari Desert and the country of 
Mashona. 
We passed tlirough large tracts of Mopane country, and my 
men caught a great many of the birds called Korwe {Tochm ery- 
tJirorliyncJius) in their breeding-places, wliich were in holes in 
the mopane-trees. On the 19th we passed the nest of a korwe, 
just ready for the female to enter: the oriflce was plastered on 
both sides, but a space was left of a heart shape, and exactly the 
size of the bffd’s body. The hole in the tree was in every case 
found to be prolonged some distance upwards above the opening, 
and thither the korwe always fled to escape being caught. In 
another nest Ave found that one Avliite egg, much like that of a 
pigeon, was laid, and the bird dropped another when captured. 
She had four besides in the ovarium. The first time that I saw 
this bird Avas at Kolobeng, Avhere I had gone to the forest for some 
timber. Standing by a tree, a native looked beliind me and ex¬ 
claimed, There is the nest of a korwe.” I saAv a sht only, about 
half an inch Avide and three or fom’ inches long, in a slight hollow 
of the tree. Thinking the Avord korwe denoted some small 
animal, I waited with interest to see Avhat he Avould extract; he 
broke the clay which surrounded the slit, put liis arm into the 
hole, and brought out a Tochus, or red-beaked hornhill, wliich 
he killed. He informed me that AAKen the female enters 
her nest she submits to a real confinement. The male plasters 
up the entrance, leaAung only a narroAv slit by wliich to feed 
his mate, and Avliich exactly suits the form of his beak. The 
female makes a nest of her own feathers, lays her eggs, hatches 
them, and remains Avith the young till they are fully fledged. 
During all this time, wliich is stated to be tAVO or tlmee months, 
the male continues to feed her and the young family. The pri¬ 
soner generally becomes quite fat, and is esteemed a very dainty 
morsel by the natives, Avlule the poor slave of a husband gets so 
lean that, on the sudden lowering of the temperature Avliich some¬ 
times happens after a faU of ram, he is benumbed, falls down, 
and dies. I never had an opportunity of ascertaining the actual 
