, 1876-04-15
AN AFRICAN BIRD.

AN AFRICAN BIRD. .
Thors IL small genus Of birds (Hnph6gol
Hiring exclusively In Africa, which form curious
alliances with large qusdtupcds 'Eko the rhlnoo-
eros. tho buffalo, tho OK, and The camel. Wher'
sver thcEe la h hcrd Of those boasts roaming tho
Wild forests aud plains, thoro Is aulte !tkosv TO
DO associated With them = flock Of ono Species or
anohor Of tho Huphasa. Thers seeins to be
friendly understanding botWocn tho bIEda aud
the beasts, "a II both recognized thssr mutual
Dependence aud gratefully acknowledged q
strong bond Of folio xahip. Tho truth IT, the b.rda
got most Of their living OF Tho hdes OF their
comrades aud the latter arc Thankful To 10 ro-
|!oyod Of tho pafasitss that furnish food for
their fe.thezcd bonofactoks. While tho animals
sro taking thoir meals. or travelling over tho
country, tho birds run about over their bodies.
searching every part With the kooncat HonBeB, for
tho iusects that may DO lurking In the hair. or
statoh that ho oncc aar as many as twenty OF
these birds riding on Tho back Of single buffalo,
the leader Of a herd that vas galoping IN mad
haste from, the psirault Of an onemy.
~ When tho huIalo a. is Il quietly fsedIng,' says
ping on theground, picking up food, or sitting on
its 6ack Kidding It of tho 1nsccts With which their
skina arc sometimes infested. The sight Of tha
bird hciug nsnch moro acute than that Of the
any danger md, flying up, tho butfaloea instant
~ tafso thcir hcaIa to discover tho cause Hbfch
has led to tho sudden light OF tlsefr guardian.
Thov sometimes accompany tho outratoes in tnoir
ntghs, on the wing At other lines. thoy sit "
above described"
In The south Of Africa, Tho Bupha7a .4.t-ieana
Is exceedingly common and atr. Monteuo re-
lates that. In Angola, It le very EancralJ sccn
hosoring about cattle. In bis notes upon tho
species which ia known ~ the Oxbird or OK
peckof. this author saYs:
appears 10 fcoi e.,tirey tcks tho stomach Of
this specimen contained no Iess than a5 1u flesh
e1tro1nely thick and arf. It IL cst1ol, 10 watch tho
In which thcy crawl all over tbs 1,oly Of an
isas. ~hieh any .fr eaeed to Do aair strong caws
t'hred .iih = exceedingly @ sharp hookwl 4 nails
10 bright SSlow 1t tho hasa. onco sAW ueat nf
these BIRDS which they arreared 10 TO fn!ehlng II
rss large looae. Of dry grass and nicely lined With
Theso ldrtl1 constantly sobbng tho hair from tho
sa!l Of old narut hAA ut l}eug,ea. They will
wtc they viii return to thelr usual locality; aud 9TH.
Immediately n,.ka their appearance aud appear
tAko cAarge at The herd
Prof. Van Deueden romarks that the Oxpocker
"pcfforma surgical oporation each tiulo Tint
Ao opena With hia lancet the tuner which tnclos.
cs tho aryA il t1le InidBt Of tho butfAloB back"
Tho bills OF tho Ettp|taga aro bug'ug towards
tho ond. and terminate obtnRc1y,-tt.na ouabliug
them to compreso tho Hkin Of animals, and fosco
cat tho lsrvD Ok Qestrid<r {bot-tlics}, on which
thoy feed. With regard 10 the attendance OF tho
Oxpocker upon .Aa shinoceroa. Dr.. Livingstone
records tho following interesting observations
This bird cannot be aaid 10 depend entirely on the
insects % tas! animal ior 5s ard. harlos! akin
scans TO bo attached to tue be.st eotnowat as tho do
messse dog Is 70 man; aud, wha the buffalo IL alarmed
by tho sudden nylug-up of ita snntineI, Tho
car Is warned hs ths CRY Of IT. associate tho Bupaa-
90 AJrtcand. The rh!nocoros feeds By night, and ts
ltR wellkuown call, kearchcs for its bulky
ranIon. One species OF this bird. Observed IN An-
Roa poascseca blu Of peculiar scoop stone for
cha at1n and Its claws sharp ka needles, en-
allnR 1t TO hang to Antinn1h willis perform.
claws sowa tho bird cling to tho neary insenstbl5
cnttes without Irritating to norscs Of pain on tho
tEus skin, oxacJ - burr docs to tha human hand:
but In tin Of tho Rupaa9a frean1 and trphre.
rhynta other food IL partskcn Of; for wo observed
aoces o. them & r1aattnE or rses II sros whoro moi.