PLAINTAIN EATERS 165 



only example I can cite of a wild parrot copying other 

 sounds. 



After the parrots come the Plaintain Eaters {Muso- 

 phagidae), one of which {Musophaga rossae), known to the 

 natives as " Fulungu," is one of the loveliest birds of 

 Uganda. 



Somewhere about the size of a rook, but with much 

 larger tail, this bird has deep purplish blue plumage 

 with bright crimson patches on the wings, making it 

 very conspicuous when it flies. It also makes itself 

 conspicuous by its voice, for it is a noisy bird. A company 

 of them will be heard apparently working themselves up 

 to concert pitch, with short cacklings and gurglings, 

 and then they suddenly all burst out together into loud, 

 not unmusical cooing in a most pleasing manner. 



These birds are typically forest species, and are only 

 seen where the forests are of some size, so they do not 

 occur .on the smaller islets. 



Another species of very different appearance has much 

 less gaudy plumage, being ashy grey, and showing patches 

 of black and white on wings and tail when flying : probably 

 it is Schizorhis. I often used to see a pair on Damba, 

 where a marshy piece of shore had ambatch trees in flower 

 that were highly attractive to these birds, w^hich were 

 frequently seen pulling off the bright yellow flowers and 

 devouring them. 



They, like the Musophaga, are noisy birds, and attract 

 attention by their vociferous habits. 



One, presumably the cock bird, used to do what airmen 

 call ." stunts " in the air, shooting vertically upwards and 

 then dropping headforemost to join the other in the 

 ambatch bush, with the accompaniment of loud cackling 

 and croAving noises. Though so frequently seen in the 

 ambatch bushes they always came from the forest, to 

 which they retired when alarmed. 



The Lark-heeled Cuckoos or Coucals (Centropidae) abound 



