Identifier: onsafaribiggameh00chaprich (find matches)
Title: On safari : big game hunting in British East Africa, with studies in bird-life
Year: 1908 (1900s)
Authors: Chapman, Abel, 1851-1929
Subjects: Hunting -- Africa, British East Birds -- Africa, British East Africa, British East -- Description and travel
Publisher: New York : Longmans, Green London : Edward Arnold
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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intrusive honey-guide so far succeed as to introduce its own egg into the disputed abode, and yet fail to destroy the eggs originally deposited therein. Nature steps in with a physical device expressly designed to uphold the wrong-doer. For the young honey-guide, when hatched, is provided with two strong and sharp hooks —regular forceps— one on either mandible, wherewith to destroy and eject its step-brothers and sisters. The sketch annexed is copied in rough outline from a photograph of a nestling Indicator variegatus 270 ON SAFARI in the excellent Journal of the South African Ornithologists Union, Vol. III, plate i (June 1907), where the following description of the phenomenon is given by Messrs. A. K. Haagner, F.Z.S, and R. H. Ivy— The extremity of the beak in the nestling is furnished with a pair of hooks which are hard, strong, and very sharp. These peculiar appendages, which remind one of the reptile-like toothed birds of Jurassic and Cretaceous ages, such as Archaeopteryx macrura
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HEAD OF NESTLING Indicator variegatus (SCALY-THROATED honey-guide) SHOWING THE FORCEPS ON MANDIBLES. from the Middle Oolites, are very curious so far as bird-anatomy is concerned, and one is led to wonder at the reason of their presence. We can only conjecture that they are of use to the nestling when ejecting the young of the rightful owner of the nest; as it would, by means of these hooks, secure a perfectly firm hold of the bird it wanted to throw out. The article proceeds to explain that the pirated nests were invariably placed in holes of trees (such as those of barbets, woodpeckers, etc.), where the usual method employed by the young British cuckoo of working itself under its victim, and so ejecting it, would not avail: whereas these tooth-like appendages would serve the BIG GAME AND ITS BIRD-PROTECTORS 271 purpose perfectly. Lastly, it should be added that these vicious hooks are cast so soon as the young honey-guide attains maturity. On the whole, it will be apparent from this shortli

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