212 MUSOPHAGIDiE 



TUEACUS 



white eggs measuriDg 108 x 0-95. The bird was on the nest 

 sitting, the eggs being slightly incubated. 



" Unless one is fortunate in noticing the birds building, the nest 

 is very difficult to discover, and consequently few are observed." 



Family 11. MUSOPHAGID^. 



Bill stout and short ; head always crested ; wing with ten 

 primaries ; tail of ten feathers ; feet senai-zygodactyle, i.e., the 

 fourth toe turned forwards or backwards at the will of the bird ; 

 nest open like that of a pigeon ; eggs white. Anatomical characters 

 are : oil gland present and tufted ; spinal feather tract well defined 

 on the neck and continued down the back without forking. 



A peculiar red colouring matter named turacin is found in the 

 wing-feathers of most of the birds of this family. A more detailed 

 account of the matter is given below in the notice of the habits of 

 Turacus corythaix. 



This family, at the present day, is strictly limited to the con- 

 tinental portion of the Ethiopian region. 



Key of the Genera. 



A. Wing.quills coloured red with turacin. 



a. Kostrils ei:itirely concealed by the frontal feathers Turacus, p. 212. 

 h. Nostrils exposed, about half way between the tip 



of the bill and the frontal feathers Gallircx, p. 217. 



B. Wing- quills ashy like the rest of the plumage, no 



red colouring matter ; nostrils linear, nearer the 



forehead than the base of the bill Schizorhis, p. 219. 



Genus I. TURACUS. 



Type. 

 Turacus, Cuv.LcgonsAnat. Comp.i, Tab. 2 (1800).. T. macrorhynchus. 



Bill appearing very small, the posterior portion being hidden 

 by the frontal feathers which also conceal the nostrils ; head 

 strongly crested ; wings rounded, the secondaries about equal to 

 the primaries in length, the wing shorter than the tail ; first 

 primary more than half the length of the fifth, the longest; tail 

 of ten feathers slightly rounded and graduated ; tarsus strong, 

 fourth or outer toe reversible at will ; plumage chiefly green 



