Palisadian., 1924-10-10
BIRD GUIDES MEN
TO BEES STORE
Chatters Until 1t Is Followed
and Then Feasts Upon
Larvae of Bees.

New YOrk.-One of the strangest
characters of the bird world is the
common AFRICAN honey-guide, first
brought to the attention of the western
world before 1700 by Father Jerome
Lobo, missionary to Abyssinia.
An object of almost superstitious
veneration by the natives, this strange
bird performs a useful service in con-
Quoting man to some beehive it has
previously located. How it came to
know that man could help it get the
food 1t prefers Is still a matter for
conjecture; but through mans aid the
honey-guide often feasts upon the bee
larvae, which, scientists believe, 1t
probably covets more than the honey
itself.
Both the male and female bird have
been observed to act as guides; but
the female, in addition, has the ques-
tionable habit of laying her eggs In the
nests of other birds and thus avoiding
the responsibilities of motherhood. AL
though resembling the American "cow-
bird" in this practice, the honey-guide
is near relative not of the "cowbird"
but of the woodpecker. Nevertheless,
1t rarely, If ever, climbs about the
trunks of trees, preferring to perch on
twigs and bOughs. AS in the case Of
woodpeckers, only two toes of each
foot are directed forward, two being
pointed to the rear.
Curator Tells of Characteristics.
James p. Chaplin, associate curator
of birds Of the Eastern Hemisphere at
the American Museum of Natural His
tory, who has observed this bird on
numerous occasions while conducting
expeditions in the Congo, writes of its
characteristics In the museums pub
lication, Natural History.
"Were a facetious journalist" Mr..
Chaplin says, "to attempt to endow a
mythical bird with some startling but
imaginary instinct, he would hardly
be likely to go to the length to which
nature has gone in the case of the
honey-guide. The strange behavior of
this bird has so long been known,
moreover, that 1t surprises one to learn
how little has been written about it
beyond simple accounts Of the way the
bird attracts the attention of men and
reveals to them the location of bee
hives.
avoiding the heavy forests of the
Congo basin and other parts of western
Africa, the honey-guide ranges from
Cape Colony to northeast Africa, and
then across the Sudan to Senegal. 1t
is plain-colored, brownish-gray bird,
scarcely larger than our American
bluebfrd, but much more stockily built,
with short, dense plumage and skin
so tough that it has often been con-
sidered a cuirass against the stings
of bees.
when fully grown, both sexes have
half-concealed epaulettes of yellow =;
and the male bird is then distinguished
by large black throat patch. The
immature birds are somewhat greener,
and until a few years ago were re-
garded as distinct species. The near
est relatives of the honey-guide in our
North American fauna are the wood
peckers; yet the honey-guides have
neither stiffened tail feathers nor an
extensive tongue.
Bird Protected by Natives.
"How we'll the honey-guide is known
and esteemed by the natives of the
countries where it dwells may easily
be imagined. BY the Azande tribe Of
the northeastern Congo the bird is
called 'turubwa,' and I was told that
before the arrival of Europeans an
Azande chief would have cut off the
ears of any man so stupid as to have
killed honey-guide.
Herbert Lang and had many ex-
periences with honey-guides attracted
by our caravans or hunting parties 1t
is the habit Of the bird to locate one
or more bee colonies and then wait for
attracts by persistent chattering. At
such times it Is relatively tame and
will alight in small trees only few
yards off. If man wishes to learn
where the hive is, he follows the bird,
whistling occasionally to it.
my own notes. One afternoon in No
vember, 1911, in a small wooded
swamp near Fradje, post in the
northeastern corner Of the Congo, we
came upon a male bird, who at once
started his chatter, and then few off
! to some distance, returning shortly as
| though to assure himself that we were
In earnest. We replied with low whis-
ties, and following him through the
tall grass and scrub, were led out onto
higher ground. Now, our feathered
guide would fly noisily ahead about
fifty yards until out of sight, perching
on top of a bush and repeating the
performance as soon as we came up.
presently another male bird Joined
him. We had gone about six hundred
yards when both birds stopped in
tree too small to harbor bees in its
trunk. Yet by their short aimless
flights and repeated returns to the
tree, the honey-guides impressed upon
us that this was the spot. The buzz
ing of passing bees now was heard and
the insects were traced to small hole
in the ground close by. During these
proceedings the birds allowed us to
approach within ten or fifteen feet of
them.
1--WE prepared to make a fire, and
the birds retired noiselessly for the
time. A little later l saw them again,
sitting with puffed out breasts and