place it is common. It has also been found in Natal by Mr.
Ayres. He writes : “ This bird frequents the dense bush, and
principally lives amongst impenetrable creepers, where it hunts about
in search of the insects which it feeds upon ; if disturbed, it flies but
a short distance. The note is a loud, melancholy, cooing noise ;
they call most in wet weather ; they are fond of getting up into trees
that are covered with creeping plants, and* sunning themselves ;
they generally fly on to the lower part, and gradually hop upwards till
they gain the top, but they can fly a very short distance at a time,
and are easily caught if chased out into the open grass, though they
lie very close, and it requires a good dog to find them ; if disturbed
they immediately fly to the thickest cover at hand, and commence
running like the Rails. They feed on grasshoppers, caterpillars, and
other insects.” Mr. Rickard narrates that in the stomach of one he
killed he found a Zosterops, in that of another a small snake, locusts,
and caterpillars.
Captain Shelley observes : “ This is the common Centropus
about Durban. I shot a few specimens ; but they were in such bad
plumage, both in March and April, that I did not preserve them.”
Mr. T. E. Buckley shot a male in the Transvaal on the 5th July,
1873, and says that its habits did not differ from those of 0. senegal-
ensis. Mr. Andersson does not appear to have procured it in
Damara Land, but Senor Anchieta has found it on the Coroca and
Chimba Rivers, as well as at Capangombe in Mossamedes. Mr. Sala
sent several specimens from Kattenbella in Benguela, and according
to Mr. Monteiro it is abundant everywhere in Angola
Adult.—Head and hind neck blackish or brownish black, thé
feathers under the eye and ear-coverts also black ; over the eye a
broad stripe of yellowish white; all the feathers of the hind head
and neck distinctly streaked down the centre with yellowish white ;
centre of back and scapulars dull rufous brown, all the feathers
mesially streaked with whitish, these stripes being further bordered
with blackish on each side, causing them to stand out in bolder
relief ; wings dull rufous above and bèlow, the quills tipped with
dusky, the inner secondaries inclining to olive-brown, the least wing-
coverts streaked with whitish, like the scapulars ; lower back dusky
black, transversely barred with dull ochre ; upper tail-coverts and
tail greenish black, with somewhat of an oily-green gloss, the latter
narrowly tipped with white, the upper tail-coverts barred with dusky
ochre; under surface of body yellowish white, the feathers of the
sides of the neck whitish in the centre, this streak margined on each
side with black, giving a very distinctly striped appearance, the
shafts of the breast feathers whitish, but without the black lines on
them; sides of the body, flanks, and under tail-coverts narrowly
barred with blackish; under wing-coverts pale rufous, with obsolete
streaks as on the sides of the neck; beak black; feet bluish slate-
colour; iris bright crimson. Total length, 16’3 inches ; culmen, 1‘35 ;
wing, 6'25; tail, 8’3 ; tarsus, 1'55.
Fig. Rupp. N. W. Vbg. p. 56, t. 21, fig. 1.
147. C entropus monachus. Purple-headed Lark-heeled Cuckoo.
This fine Lark-heel is closely allied to the foregoing species, but is
slightly larger and has the head purplish-blue instead of greenish-
black. It is found in North Eastern and in Western Africa, and has
been procured as low down as Mosambique on the East Coast.
Senor Anchieta has collected specimens at Huilla in Mossamedes
and Caconda in Benguela, as well as at Ambaca in Angola.
Adult.—Entire head and neck black, with a brilliant purplish-
blue gloss, the shafts "glossy black; centre of the back and entire
wings bright chestnut, the tips of the primaries and the inner
secondaries olive-brown; rump dusky black, glossed with purplish
blue; upper tail-coverts greenish; tail brown with a dull greenish
gloss; under surface of the body yellowish white, the flanks and
abdomen inclining to ochre, the shafts rather distinct, especially
on the throat; under wing-coverts buff, the lower ones chestnut,
like the inner face of the wing; bill and feet black; iris red. Total
length, 15-4 inches; culmen, 1’25 ; wing, 7-2 ; tail, 9-3 ;■ tarsus, 1*9.
Fig. Rupp. N. W. Vog. p. 57, Taf. 21. fig. 2.
148. C entropus n ig r o r u fu s . Natal Lark-heeled Cuckoo.
Le Yaillant found this species near the Zwart River, and the
description given below is from a Natal skin procured by the late
Professor Wahlberg on the 28th November, 1840. It may be distinguished
from the other Lark-heels of South Africa by its black
abdomen.
Female.—Head and neck all round, fore neck and chest deep
black, the shafts to the feathers glossy black; rest, of underparts
also black, but the black shafts not so distinct; interscapulary region