NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



Knysna Plantain Eater, or Lourie {Turams corvthaix). 

 (Vol. II., p. 113.) 



Description. — Male : head, neck, throat, and chest grass- 

 green. The long feathers on the head form a rounded crest, 

 which is tipped with white. White eyebrow with black spot 

 in front and below the eye. The back is greenish-blue 

 verging into steely-blue, and green on the wings and tail. 

 Under parts of wings crimson, the outer secondaries edged 

 and tipped with dusky-black. Abdomen and tail coverts 

 slaty. Iris brown. Bare skin round eye red. Bill orange- 

 red. Legs black. 



Lengthy 18.0 ; wing, 7.0 ; tail, 8.25. 

 Female resembles the male. 



Distribution. — This lourie inhabits the thickly forested 

 districts from Knysna eastwards to Natal. 



Habits. — The lourie is confined to thickly wooded districts, 

 where it frequents the high trees, only descending during wet 

 weather. It feeds principally on forest fruits, such as wild 

 figs, etc. They are usually seen about in pairs. Their flight is 

 very graceful as they glide from tree to tree. Their cry is 

 only heard at sunrise and sundown. It is a loud croaking note, 

 which can be easily distinguished. During the heat of the 

 day, however, they are usually silent. On the wing feathers 

 there is a red pigment known as turacin. This turacin is soluble 

 to a certain extent in water ; thus during wet weather these 

 birds often get most of this crimson colouring washed out, 

 leaving the feathers a dirty white in colour. During rainy 

 weather the feathers often get so wet that the bird is unable 

 to fly, and can then be caught with the hand. When the 

 plumage drys, the colour becomes, in a few days, as bright 

 as ever. The nest resembles that of a pigeon. It is a 

 horizontal platform of sticks, placed in the centre of some 

 thick bush about 10 to 15 ft. above the ground. It is about 

 I ft. in diameter. The eggs are about 5 in number and are 

 pure white, being very much the same size as those of the 

 ordinary pigeon. 



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