THE HONEY-BIRD.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 4, Issue 67, 17 July 1851, Page 4

THE HONEY-BIRD.

(From the British Quarterly Review.) Of this bird Cumming says:—" I saw today, for the first time, the honey-bird. This extraordinary little bird, which is about the size of a chaffinch, and of a light grey colour, will invariably lead a person following it to a wild bees' nest. Chattering and twittering, in a state of great excitement it perches on a branch beside the traveller, cndeavouiing, by various wiles, to attract bis attention ; and having succeeded in doing so, it flies lightly forward, in a wavy course, in the direction of the bees' nest, alighting every now and then and looking back to ascertain if the traveller is fol lowing it, all the time kf cping up an incessant twiiter. When at length it arrives at the hollow tree, or deserted white-ant's hill, which contains honey, it for a moment hovers over the nest, pointing to it with its bill, and then takes up its position on a neighbouring branch, anxiously waiting its share of the spoil. When the honey is taken, which is accomplished by first stupifying the bees by burning grass at the entrance of tlitir domicile, the honey-bird will often lead to a second ami even n third nest. The person thus following it ought to whistle* The savages in the interior, whilst in pursuit, have sevcr.il charmed sentences which they use on the occasion," These minuicc, apparently drawn from actual observation, seem to be conclusive of the disputed fact, and furnish a singular instance of the wild animal adapting its instincts to man, and both cu-operaling for their mutual advantage. The questions also arise: Arc these habits of tho bird acquired since the intercourse of the species with nun ? Are they modifications of same original instinct in relation to some other animal ? or, aru they instincts originally framed in relation to the honey-bird and the savage men, as contemporary inhabitants of the forest ? iilut Mr. dimming adds J another circumstance regarding this bird which is equally inexplicable. " Interesting," says he, "as the honey-bird is, and though sweet bo the stores to which it leads, I have often had cause to wish it far | enough, as, when following the warm " spoor," i or track of elephants, - 1 have often seen the I cavages, at moments of the most importance, resign the spoor of the beasts to attend to the summons of the bird. Sometimes, however, they are ' sold,' it being a well-known fact, both among the Hottentots and tribes of the interior, that they often lead the unw.iry pursuer to danger, sometimes guiding him to the mid-day retreat of a grizzly lion, or bringing him suddenly upon the den of the crouching panther. I remember, upon one occasion, when wcaiy with warring against the mighty elephants and hippopotami, 1 sought recreation in the humbler pursuits of quail-shooting. While thus employed, my attention was sud-

denly invited by a garrulous honey-bird, which pcrlinnci'.usly adhered to mc fur n considerable time, heedless of the reports made by my gun. Having bagged as many quails and partridges ns I cared about shooting, I whistled lustily to the honey-bird, and Rave him chase. Alter following lo a distance of upwards of a mile llirough the open glades adjoining the Limpopo, ho led to an nnuiully vast crocodile, who was lying with his entire body concealed, nothing but bis horrid head being visible above the surface of the water, his cyos anxiously watching the movements of tight or ten bull-bulfalos, which in seeking to quench their thirst in the waters of the river, were crackling through the dry reeds, as they cautiously waded in the deep mud that a recent flood had deposited along the edge. Fortunately for the buffiilos, the depth of the mud prevented their reaching the stream, and thus the scaly monster of the river was disappointed of his prey."