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I have previously spoken of the hum of bees in the fields, but here we find their nests; for plastered over the cornice, and filling a large portion of the deeply-cut inscriptions, are the curious mud homes of the wild bees, who work on industriously, regardless of the attacks of the hundreds of bee-eaters which feed upon them.
Increasing Beauty of the Country Mode of spending the Day The People and the Falls of Gonye A Makololo Foray A second prevented, and Captives delivered up Politeness and Liberality of the People The Rains Present of Oxen The fugitive Barotse Sekobinyane's Misgovernment Bee-eaters and other Birds Fresh-water Sponges Current Death from a Lion's Bite at Libonta Continued Kindness Arrangements for spending the Night during the Journey Cooking and Washing Abundance of animal Life Different Species of Birds Water-fowl Egyptian Geese Alligators Narrow Escape of one of my Men Superstitious Feelings respecting the Alligator Large Game The most vulnerable Spot Gun Medicine A Sunday Birds of Song Depravity; its Treatment Wild Fruits Green Pigeons Shoals of Fish Hippopotami.
There were many of them flying about near a steep bank, in holes of which they built their nests. She observed that they fed upon flies which they caught while skimming through the air, and afterwards learned that they were called bee-eaters. "Oh! look!" exclaimed Ailie in that tone of voice which indicated that a surprising discovery had been made.
We rode past the low-walled gardens, where pomegranate and apricot trees were flowering, and strange birds I did not know sang in the deep shade. Doves flitted from branch to branch, bee-eaters darted about among mulberry and almond trees.
We are glad of the crested larks that rise warbling from the grass, and of the buntings and chaffinches that make their small merry music in every thicket, and of the black and white chats that shift their burden of song from stone to stone beside the path, and of the cuckoo that tells his name to us from far away, and of the splendid bee-eaters that glitter over us like a flock of winged emeralds as we climb the rocky hill toward the north.
But, we must bear in mind that a bird that behaves thus is not necessarily a flycatcher. Other birds, as, for example, king-crows and bee-eaters, have discovered how excellent a way this is of securing a good supply of food. The plumage of this flycatcher is pale blue blue of that peculiar shade known as verditer blue. There is a little black on the head.
The fond mother doubtless found her son's letters very instructive, but they were not exactly what she wanted. Let it suffice that the familiar bird with wings of two shades of blue is not a jay, nor even one of the Corviniæ, but a blood relation of the kingfishers and bee-eaters. Two true jays, however, are common in the Western Himalayas.
Far away one saw the snow-capped peaks of the Atlas; hawks and swallows sailed to and from Elhara's walls; doves were cooing in the orchards, bee-eaters flitted lightly amid the palms. I found myself wondering if the lepers ever thought to contrast their lives with their surroundings, and I trusted they did not.
But there are a hundred and thirty-seven species of fly-catchers; and Noah must have had a fly-catcher family of nineteen hundred and eighteen individuals to supply with appropriate food. There are thirty-seven species of bee-eaters; and there must have been five hundred and eighteen of these birds to supply with bees. A very large apiary would be required to supply their needs.
It was a glorious day on which we drove out to Secundra, the air was musical with the merry notes of the minos, in their dusky red plumage, the little chirping bee-eaters, hoopoes, and blue-jays. Some little girls freely plucked the abundant rose-buds, pinks, lemon verbenas, and geraniums, bringing them to us for pennies, instigated by the gardeners, who looked on approvingly.
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