422 
PIARPER’S NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE. 
remained with them till morning’; and on 
my approaching’, before taking’ tlig’ht, they 
exerted themselves to their utmost to 
awaken Clmkuroo from his deep sleep.” 
Tlie g’ood looks of this little guardian 
contrast oddly with the exaggerated un- 
couthiiess of its protege. As its name 
implies, it has a red beak. Its back and 
feet are of a grayish-brown, the under 
parts of the body are pale yellow, and the 
eyes and eyelids are of a golden color. It 
is about nine inches long, and spreads its 
wings thirteen inches. 
Although called the rhinoceros-bird, it 
does not confine its beneficent attentions 
to that animal, though in the care of no 
other creature does it exhibit the same 
life-long devotedness. The hippopotamus, 
the elephant, the camel, the buffalo, and 
such other quadrupeds as are tick-ridden, 
all come in for a share of the ox-biter’s 
ministrations, and all gratefully submit 
to the necessary pain of probing. 
This bird is found only in Central Afri¬ 
ca ; but there is in South Africa a near rel¬ 
ative, known as the African ox-biter {Bii- 
phaga africana), which performs very 
much the same office in its territory. 
Just here mav be noticed another bird, 
whose only claim to an introduction 
among guardian birds is the fact that it 
has no right to be with them. This is 
the white-beaked honey-guide {Indicator 
albirostris). So far is this little fellow 
from being a guardian that he can only 
be described as a very Judas among birds. 
And as if to carry out the similitude to 
his great human prototype, his treachery 
is frequently of benefit to others, while 
disaster falls to his lot alone. 
The white hunter, while eagerly pursu¬ 
ing the fresh spoor of one of- the great 
pachyderms, in company with native hunt¬ 
ers, will frequently find himself of a sud¬ 
den deserted by his black attendants, and 
will discover, to his intense disgust, that it 
is owing to the importunate invitation of 
this little Judas. 
The bird has discovered a nest of wild 
bees, and desires to feast u])on the sweet 
spoils stored there. The easiest way to ac¬ 
complish this is to call in the aid of man. 
Accordingly the little fellow seeks a na¬ 
tive, and, by flying close beside him and ex¬ 
citedly twittering and chattering, attracts 
his attention. This done, he flies away 
a short distance, and then sto])S and looks 
back to see if he be followed. In this way 
he leads his accomplice until the nest is 
reached, when he distinctly indicates it 
by hovering over it with his bill fixedly 
pointing at it. 
He then takes up his position on a branch 
near by, and anxiously awaits the result of 
stupefying the bees and rifling the nest; 
for the natives always reward his villainy 
1)3^ giving him a small share of the plun¬ 
der. Should the little fellow know of 
more than one nest, he will in turn lead to 
them all. 
The retribution that occasionally over¬ 
takes the bird is due to the just rage of the 
bees, which seem to understand the part 
played by it, and have, curiously, learned 
to punish it, in spite of its apparent invul¬ 
nerability to their weapons. They might 
vainly exhaust the battery of their stings 
on its feather - covered body, and have 
learned not to waste their ammunition in 
that waj’-. The moment they see their 
betray^er hovering over their nest, they 
rush out upon it, and like the tiny Blefus- 
cans, launch their poisoned arrows at its 
eyes. 
Usually the bird escapes, but often it 
pays the penalty of its treachery, and falls 
helplessly to the ground to die within 
reach of the sweets for sake of which it 
pla3"ed the traitor. 
The honey-guide is a sober - looking 
bird, about six inches long. It wears a 
gray-brown mantle, with its short sleeves, 
or wings, edged with white, black throat¬ 
covering, brown shoes, and jrellowish- 
Avhite Avaistcoat. It is apparently entire- 
Ij^ devoid of conscience, Avhich Avill not be 
so much Avondered at, perhaps, Avhen it is 
known that it belongs to the cuckoos. 
The lazy o’eature, entirely given OA^er 
to Aucious courses, does not trouble to 
build a nest, but haA’ing laid her egg upon 
the bare ground, carries it to the nest of 
some more thrifty bird, and after inconti¬ 
nently tossing out one of the eggs belong¬ 
ing there, deposits her own in its place. 
The European cuckoo, after thus making 
some otlier bird adopt its ^mung, has at 
least the grace to permit the new mother 
to bring it up as nearly in her OAvn Avay^ as 
the unrul.v nature of the j'oung change¬ 
ling Avill admit; but the honej^-guide, as if 
afraid that its offs])ring might learn some 
good liabits, steals it from its home as soon 
as possible after it is hatched, and incul¬ 
cates, no doubt, its oavu evil Avays. 
Having given the cuckoo such a bad 
character, it is no more than right to turn 
at once to one member of tlie family that 
