32 Mr. J. H. Gurney on additional Species of Birds 



occasionally take the young queens of the White Ant, rising in 

 the air and taking them on the wing ; hut they appear to have 

 much difficulty in catching them, possibly from the smallness of 

 their mouth. They build close to the ground amongst thick and 

 tall grass. 



165. EsTRELDA DUFRESNiT (Vicill.). Dufresne's Finch. 

 Male and female. Iris crimson; upper mandible black, under 



scarlet; tarsi and feet very dark brown. These Finches are 

 by no means so plentiful as the preceding, seldom more than 

 eight or ten being seen together ; when feeding, they hop about 

 on the ground and pick up the ripe grass-seeds wdiich have fallen. 

 They build a nest somewhat similar to the red-billed species, but 

 instead of being close to the ground, they place it in the upper 

 twigs of some low bush six or eight feet high. 



166. CoRYTHAix PORPHYREOLOPHUs (Vigors). Purple- 

 crested Plantain-eater. 



Female. Iris dark brown, eyelids crimson ; bill black ; tarsi 

 and feet very dark brown. When the bird is fresh killed, the outer 

 toes are nearly versatile, easily extending two-thirds round. They 

 are common in the dense bush along the coast, and in the spring 

 of the year disperse wdthin a range of fifteen miles inland, return- 

 ing again for the summer, autumn, and winter to the bush more 

 immediately on the line of coast. A dozen of these beautiful 

 birds may frequently be seen together, climbing and running 

 along the branches of the forest trees somewhat similarly to 

 monkeys. Their food consists of hard nutty berries and small 

 fruits, which they swallow whole. Their note is loud and dis- 

 cordant ; the alarm-note is given very suddenly. 



167. LyEModon nigrothorax (Cuv.). Black-collared Barbet. 

 Male and. female. Iris bright reddish brown; tarsi and feet 



dark brown. Their food appears principally to consist of small 

 fruits and berries, which they swallow whole. Their note is par- 

 ticularly loud ; " kook-kooroo," quickly repeated eight or ten 

 times, would resemble it : frequently both the male and the 

 female call at the same time, and when perched close together 

 keep up a quick succession of bow^s to each other, and bow 



