white, both the latter and the nests being like those of Pigeons. Mr.
Rickard says: “ I once found an egg in a bird I shot at Bast London
(Jan. 27th): it was pure white, and the size of a tame Pigeon’s.”
Mr. Bowker writes: “ I once found a Louri’s nest: it was just like a
dove’s, built of sticks laid horizontally, and about the size of a large
dinner plate, placed about ten feet from the ground in the centre of a
round bush. The old bird flew out as I walked up ; I found five young
birds in the nest; they were almost full grown, but their tails rather
short and stumpy, crest just showing, but I cannot remember
whether the red on the wing was showing or not. On my getting
up to the nest they all flew out, and were killed by my dogs before I
could come to the rescue. The bush was twenty or thirty yards from
the edge of a large forest, and I was rather surprised to find this nest,
as I had been told they built in hollow trees.”
General colour, green, iridescent, with steel-blue on the wings and
tail, and approaching to dull black, or rifle-green, on the thigh and
vent; head much crested, each feather being tipped with white;
two white lines also extend from the corner of the bill, and passing
on each side of the eye, reunite behind it. The wings when expanded
display the most brilliant carmine, glossed with purple; bill orange-
brown; legs black; iris brown. Length, 19 inches; wing, 1-5;
tail, 9’9 ; tarsus, P9.
Fig. Schlegel andWesterm. Toerak. pi. 11.
129. C o r y t h a i x p o r p h y r e o l o p h a . Purple-crested Plantain-Eater.
Turacus porpJiyreolophus, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 224.
This very beautiful bird has been found at the Knysna; but is
tflere extremely scarce. It increases in numbers as the collector
travels eastward, until at Natal, as we are informed, it is not uncommon.
Dr. Smith states that it inhabits thickets near the coast,
feeding upon fruits, &c.
The following note is extracted from Captain Shelley’s paper on
the birds observed by him in South Africa This handsome species
is fairly plentiful about Durban, especially in the less frequented
woods to the east of the Umgeni • and at Pinetown, where its
loud rough notes, somewhat resembling the word ‘ Tourakoo,’
repeated successively several times, may be frequently heard in the
morning and evening. It resorts mostly to the larger trees, where I
have frequently watched three or four playing together, hopping from
bough to bough, depressing and expanding their tails, and at
intervals displaying the rich crimson on their wings. There are few
more striking birds than the present one and some of the allied
species as they fly gracefully across the path in front, or are watched
during their quaint but pleasing gambols.”
In the Zambesi regions, writes Dr. Kirk,—" this was the common
species of the plains, but was not noticed high up in the mountains.
They are found in pairs and in small flocks.”
General colour, dark, iridescent green, with steel-blue reflections
on the back, wings, and ta il; head slightly crested, shining green
and blue; under parts a dull green, with a reddish tinge on the
breast; wings, when expanded, display the same brilliant carmine,
glossed with purple, as seen in 0. musophaga ; bill and legs black;
eyelids scarlet; iris dark brown. Total length, 17 inches ; wing, 7 0 ;
tail, 8-0 ; tarsus, 1 '6.
Fig. Schlegel and Westerm. Toerak. pi. 3.
130. C o r y t h a i x l i v i n g s t o n i i . Livingstone’s Plantain-Eater.
This beautiful species was first discovered by the Zambesi
Exploring Expedition. Dr. Kirk writes as follows : “ It is peculiar to
the mountains south of Lake Nyanza, where it was seen by Dr.
Livingstone and myself in 1859, when passing to Lake Shirwa. On
that occasion we noticed it in the ravine at the foot of the hills within
a few miles of the river, but on no subsequent occasion was it seen so
low down. It is most common near a hill called Sochi, and in the
wooded river-banks of the region near the late Bishop Mackenzie’s
mission-station.” It likewise occurs in South Western Africa,
where Monteiro discovered it in Benguela. He gives the following
note concerning i t : " They are sometimes brought to Benguela for
sale by the negroes from Bibe. Appears to be much rarer than the
0. erythrolopha. I have seen both pretty abundantly to the interior
of Novo Redondo.”
Senor Anchieta has also met with it in the same country, and at
Capangombe and Biballa in Mossamedes.
General colour, above green, with edgings of metallic darker green
’ to most of the feathers, especially the wing-coverts; innermost
secondaries green like the back, the primaries deep crimson, exter