138 EAST AFRICA AND ITS BIG GAME. 
were signs of general alarm. These cooled down when, 
on nearer approach, the new arrivals were found to be 
merely a party of native hunters (Wa-ramba), armed 
with bows and arrows instead of spears, on their way 
to Taveta in the hopes of being there able to dispose 
of the meat they had killed. 
Shortly after this C-and I went after a herd of 
over a hundred buffalo, but they got our wind twice, 
and though at first they did not go far, the second time 
they galloped clean out of sight. This was my intro¬ 
duction to the buffalo, and the sight of so fine a herd 
of these large beasts was very imposing. They were 
attended by a flock of those birds which bear their name, 
some hovering over them, while others were busy feed¬ 
ing on their backs. These birds are about the size of 
turtle-doves, and have a pure white plumage: their 
principal feeding-grounds are the quarters of the 
buffalo, just as those of the rhino offer the most 
attractive maintenance to the rhinoceros-bird. Thus 
extremes meet, and evidently to the mutual advantage of 
all concerned. But though the presence of these birds 
is an undoubted convenience to all parasite-ridden 
animals, it is also a source of distinct danger, as 
it is by no means usual for the sportsman to get a 
first intimation of the position of his quarry by seeing 
a number of these birds hovering in the air. Before 
going into camp for the night I was lucky enough 
to bring down, with a longish shot, a fine water-buck, 
whose head compensated me for the one of which I 
had been robbed by the hyaena. 
