THE FOURTH FAMILY OF THE ZYGODACTYLE PICARIAN BIRDS.THE PLANTAIN-EATERS (Musophagidæ).
These may be called a strictly Ethiopian family of birds, every single member being found in Africa, and nowhere else. They have very much the appearance of game-birds, and are all remarkable for their beautiful crests, which they are able to elevate or depress at will. Although belonging to the Scansorial, or climbing birds, they do not always keep their toes in pairs, but being of a lively disposition they hop continually from bough to bough, and the outer toe is seen as often placed in front with the others as it is directed backwards along with the hind toe. With the exception of the Grey Plantain-eaters, all the other species have beautiful red primaries; and the writer was informed by the late African traveller, Jules Verreaux, that the bird often gets caught in violent showers during the rainy season, when the whole of this brilliant red colour in the wing-feathers gets washed out, and the quills become pinky-white, and after two or three days the colour is renewed, and the wing resumes its former beauty.
THE FIRST SUB-FAMILY OF THE MUSOPHAGIDÆ.—THE MUSOPHAGINÆ, OR TRUE PLANTAIN-EATERS.
THE WHITE-CRESTED PLANTAIN-EATER (Corythaix musophaga).
WHITE-CRESTED PLANTAIN-EATER.
WHITE-CRESTED PLANTAIN-EATER.
This is perhaps the best known of the whole family of these curious birds, being the commonest species in South Africa, where it is plentiful in the forest districts of the Knysna, and the south coast as far as Natal, and the wooded districts of the Eastern Transvaal. It is known by the name of the Louri, or Lory, and the following brief account of its habits is given by Mr. Layard:[251]—“The 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 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 East London (January 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 allflew 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 at this nest, as I had been told they built in hollow trees.’” In size this species is about nineteen inches long; the general colour is green, with a broad white tip to the feathers of the crest, the abdomen and vent are blackish, the quills brilliant carmine.
The false Touracoes, as Dr. Sclater calls them, do not possess the red colouring of the wings, but are for the most part of a uniform grey colour. The best known species is
THE GREY PLANTAIN-EATER (Schizorhis concolor).
This is also found in South Africa, but in different districts to the White-crested Plantain-eater. Where the range of the latter ceases that of the present bird begins, and it is found throughout the Matabele country and the Transvaal as far as the Zambesi, and westwards through Damara Land to Angola. Mr. Andersson writes:—“It is partial to localities abounding in large trees; and when prominently perched, with crest erect, it is not unlike a gigantic Coly. It also climbs and flies like the Colies, which it strongly resembles in its general habits. It is usually found in small flocks, and feeds on berries and seeds, especially those of mistletoe and of other parasitical plants, and also on fruits, young shoots, and insects. The Damaras call this species ‘Ongoro-oroquena,’ from the extraordinary and almost human cry with which it frequently startles the traveller who is passing near its perch. It is sometimes very easy to approach these birds, whilst at other times they are so shy that they will defy the utmost exertions which may be made to obtain them. On January 5th, 1867, I obtained three eggs of this species, of a dull bluish-white colour, at Omapja, from a boy, who told me that the nest which contained them was composed of sticks roughly put together, and situated in a tree at some distance from the ground; and on March 1st I met with a nest in Ondonga placed in a tree, but at no great elevation, which also contained three eggs, much incubated.” Dr. Exton, also, who has been through the Matabele country, writes as follows:—“In travelling through the Bechuana country one often comes upon a party of five or six of these birds, hiding from the mid-day heats under the sheltered portions of dense foliage near the centre of a large tree. Whilst yet undisturbed, the crest lies flat on the head, and can only be seen as a tuft projecting from the occiput. But their first act on becoming aware of an intruder is to run along the branches, either to the summit of the tree or to the extremity of a branch commanding a good look-out, where, with crest fully erected and well thrown forward, they keep up a constant reiteration of their note. If but little alarmed they move rapidly from branch to branch, frequently jerking up the crest, and assuming an attitude of attention. Again, after flight from one tree to another, on alighting, they first rest on a branch, with the body somewhat horizontal and the tail drawn nearly to the perpendicular, as if assuring themselves of their equilibrium, and then raising the body, elongating their neck, and at the same time elevating the crest, they seem to take an observation as to the security of their new position. So much is this a habit of the bird, that during the conversational difficulties of my earlier intercourse with the Bechuanas, when inquiring for the nest of Schizorhis (the native name of which is ‘Ma-quaai’), as soon as it dawned upon the mind of a native what bird I meant he has imitated its note, accompanied by a sudden jerking up of the hand, with his fingers extended to the utmost, as if at the same time to mimic the elevation of the crest. Dr. Sclater mentions that ‘Mr. J. J. Monteiro, speaking of the Grey False Touraco (S. concolor), as observed in Benguella, expressly states that the crest-feathers are always carried erect.’ In my own experience, the observation of Schizorhis was an every-day occurrence; and, as I have stated, when undisturbed (also when in flight) very little of the crest is to be seen, but is invariably carried erect on the least alarm. I may here mention a peculiar scream ofS. concolor. I was one day walking along a low ridge of rocks, from which I flushed an Owl—the commonBubo maculosus—that flew to some distance to a clump of trees. Presently I heard an agonised scream, such as is made by a young Antelope when seized by a Dog; and so exact a repetition of the sound was it that even my Dogs were deceived by it, and rushed off in the direction whence it came. I also sent a Kaffir boy, and presently followed myself, when I discovered it was the frightful scream ofSchizorhis, of which a party were collected round the Owl I had previously disturbed, and whose presence appeared to be the exciting cause. At a later period I had a second opportunity of verifying this observation.”
COLIES.
COLIES.
THE SECOND SUB-FAMILY OF THE MUSOPHAGIDÆ.—THE COLIINÆ, OR COLIES.
Like the foregoing sub-family, the Colies are confined to Africa. They have decided affinities with the true Plantain-eaters, but are distinguished at a glance by their long tails, the feathers of which are much pointed, and become smaller and narrower towards the outside of the tail. They are most dexterous climbers, as was well seen in the captive specimens of the Chestnut-backed Coly, which were brought by Cameron from Angola, and lived for some time in the London Zoological Gardens.
THE WHITE-BACKED COLY (Colius capensis).
The Colies are known in the Cape Colony by the name ofMuisvogel, or Mouse-bird, and they are not uncommon, ranging about in small families of from six to eight individuals. Mr. Layard says that they fly with a rapid, though laboured flight, generally at a lower level than the object at which they aim, and on nearing the latter they rise upwards with a sudden, abrupt curve. They creep among the branches like Parrots, and hang suspended head downwards, without inconvenience; and it is said that they invariably sleep in this position, many of them congregated in a ball. The nest was found by Mr. Andersson in Damara Land, between September and December. It was placed in a small bush, and was composed externally of grass and twigs, lined internally with softer grass, and the eggs were dull white, and, according to his observations, always three in number. Mr. Andersson states that the bird “is gregarious in its habits, being found in flocks by day, and also when roosting at night. Its flight is short and feeble, seldom extending beyond the nearest bush or tree, on reaching which it usually perches on one of the lower branches, and then gradually glides and creeps upwards through the foliage, using both bill and feet for that purpose. It is essentially a fruit-eating bird, but I believe when hard pressed for its regular food it does not despise insects and the young shoots of plants. Its flesh is palatable.” The Colies as a rule are dull-coloured brown birds, but they have a long crest. The present species is perhaps the handsomest, being ash-coloured, and having the lower back and rump purple glossed with red, while a white line, bordered on each side by a broad black one, extends from beneath the shoulders to the rump. The bill is bluish-white, and the feet bright red. The length of the bird is thirteen or fourteen inches.