green with a steel-blue reflexion externally, the secondaries shaded
with violet on the outer web, more so than the primaries, all of
which have the terminal third of the feather whitey-brown, and have
a distinct white bar across the inner web of all the feathers, the
fourth to the seventh primary having a white spot on the outer web
also; tail violet, more or less inclining to steel-blue near the base,
the outer feather with a white bar near the tip ; ear-coverts- oil-
green; rest of under surface shining oily-green, blacker on the
abdomen, the throat and fore-neck slightly washed with steel-blue ;
under wing-coverts black, the edge of the wing greenish; “ bill
dark brown, yellowish towards gape; legs and feet dusky black,
with a brownish tint on the tarsi anteriorly and with the soles of the
feet olive; iris very dark brown” (Andersson). Total length, 10'8
inches; culmen, 1*95; wing, 4’25; tail, 5.8; tarsus, 0‘85.
Adult female.—Very similar to the male above, but is rusty brown
below and on the sides of the face and of the neck: three outer
tail-feathers spotted with white. Total length, 10 inches; culmen, 1-6 ;
wing, 4-0; tail, 5'5; tarsus, 0'8. Young birds are brown below like
the old females. It is to be noted that the light endings to the
primaries seem to disappear with age, so as to become wholly black,
and the white spot on the first primary also becomes absorbed.
Fig. Jardine, Zool. Joum. iv. pi. 1.
127. S c o p t e l u s a t e r r i m u s . Straight-billed Wood-Hoopoe.
The authority for the occurrence of this northern species in South
Africa is the 'Vogel Ostafrika’s ’ of Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub, where
a young specimen is said to have been examined from Damara Land.
The Kuruman birds identified as B. cyanomelas by the author are
also said to belong to I. aterrimus. ■ We cannot but think that the
doctors are in error with regard to the first, as they certainly are
with the last occurrence, for the birds sent from Kuruman by Mr.
Moffat were the true B. cya/nomelas : all the Damara skins examined
by us, including a good series in the British Museum, also belong to
that species. Although we are thus unable to include the present
bird as undoubtedly South African, we give a description of it
taken from an Abyssinian skin, to assist in its future identification.
[Cf. Gurney in Anderss. B. Dam. Ld. p. 68.]
Adult male.—Above violet, inclining to steel-blue on the head
and more especially on the wings, the innermost secondaries being
violet and inclining to purple or steel-blue towards the middle;
eight primaries barred with white, extending across the outer web
on all excepting the three outermost, on which it is confined to the
inner web only; inner primary coverts pure white, forming a distinct
alar spot; tail-feathers steel-blue, more or less inclining to
violet at the tips and on the margins, all of them waved under
certain lights; ear-coverts dull greenish black; rest of the under
surface black glossed with violet, especially on the throat, which has
also a steel-blue lustre; bill and feet blackish; iris dusky. Total
length, 9'8 inches; culmen, 1'2 ; wing, 4-05 ; tail, 5‘3 ; tarsus, 0.7.
Pam. MUSOPHAGIDiE.
128. C o r y t h a i x m t j s o p h a g a . White-crested Plantain-Eater.
Turacus persa, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 223.
This species is truly South African and is not found out of our
limits: it is very common in the forest districts, especially about the
Knysna, where it was procured by Victorin from March to July and
again in October and November. Mr. Rickard records it from East
London, and Mr. T. C. Atmore forwarded many examples from
Eland’s Post. It ranges as high as Natal, whence we have seen
several specimens. Captain Shelley writes, "A pair of these birds
flew across my path while in the thick wood about twelve miles east
of the Umgeni, when I procured one.” Mr. E. A. Barratt has shot
specimens in the Lydenburg district, at the foot of the western slope
of the Drakensberg.
This Plantain-eater feeds on fruits and frequents the highest trees,
rarely if ever descending to the ground, over which it can, however,
travel with great rapidity if brought down by a shot. The motions
of this species are very graceful and light, and performed with an ease
and rapidity that delight the eye of the beholder. Strange to say,
though we inquired carefully, we never could obtain any information
respecting the nidification of this beautiful and common bird. Mr..
Atmore, however, states that the eggs are white; but this must be
from hearsay, as he writes: " How difficult it is to find these forest
birds’ nests. The Lories are breeding now : but for the life of me
I cannot find a nest. The young ones go in troops, and are delicious
eating : the old ones in pairs. We never shoot specimens out of a
troop, except for the pot.” An old forester told him that the eggs were