COUCALS 57 



call. They food chiefly on insects, varied hy a diet of berries 

 and wild fruit. 



The Crested Barbet (Trachyphonus aifer) has a black crest 

 and a red rump. The mottled yellow and black plumage is 

 also suffused with red on the sides of the face and lower breast. 

 Length, 7| to 8 inches. 



It is not uncommon in the region on the Crocodile River 

 mentioned above, and appears to be fairly common through- 

 out the Bushveld, and its habits do not differ from those 

 of other Barbets. Its call is a rattling, creaky note, and 

 it often indulges in peculiar contortions of the head and 

 neck when calling to its mate. 



COUCALS 



The Coucals {Centrojpoclimv) form a subfamily of the 

 Culculidce, but differ in several structural characters, besides 

 the important fact that whereas the latter are birds parasitic 

 upon other birds, the Coucals build their own nests and 

 incubate their own eggs. 



There are seven species in South Africa, only four of 

 which need concern us here. Two of these are the closely 

 allied Black-headed Coucal (Centropus burchelli), and the 

 White-browed Coucal (C. pymi, Roberts). Both birds are 

 called the " Vlei Lourie " by the Boers. 



Both are rufous-brown above ; the tail greenish-black 

 narrowly tipped with white (this is not always apparent in 

 worn specimens) ; below buff-white. Burchelli has a glossy 

 black head, with sometimes a few white feathers in front of 

 the eye, forming the commencement of an eyebrow ; there 

 are generally a few white shaft streaks on the neck. Pj/mi 

 has a dark brown head with a distinct whitish eyebrow ; 

 the nape, upper back and sides of neck are prof asely streaked 

 with white shaft lines, many of the feathers being also edged 

 v/ith black. Length, about 14| to 16 inches. 



