378 CORACIITFORMES CHAP. 
dash at an intruder, or settle near him, jerking the head and 
tail. Many adults are slaughtered for decorative purposes. 
The Ground- Rollers, Atelornis, Uratelornis, Geobiastes and 
Brachypteracias, are curious forms, peculiar to Madagascar. A. 
pittoides has green upper parts with a ruddy tinge, white bars 
across the short primaries, a fine blue head and tail, except for 
the two brown median rectrices, and a reddish-fawn lower surface 
divided by a blue band from the white throat. A. crossleyi has 
a rufous head and black gular stripes. Uvratelornis chimaera 1s 
a nearly allied form. Geobiastes squamigera has the upper back 
reddish-brown, the lower green; the head and under parts are buff, 
with black scale-hke markings, and a black line down the crown. 
The primaries are brownish, the tail shews a curious combina- 
tion of green, blue, black, and brown. Srachypteracias leptosomus 
is yellowish-green above, with bluish margins to the feathers, 
and a purplish-brown head and neck, while the brownish tail 
has a subterminal black and a terminal white bar; it is white 
below, banded or striped with chestnut and black. These forest- 
species are almost entirely terrestrial and crepuscular, running 
about in solitary fashion in the dusk, and carefully examining 
the ground for insect-food, or scratching for worms and the lke; 
occasionally they fly to a low branch, jerking the tail as they 
alight. The eggs are said to be white. 
Sub-fam. 2. Leptosomatinae—This contains only Leptosoma 
discolor, the Kirombo or Vorondreo of Madagascar and the 
Comoro Islands, which has a big crested head; a long, slightly 
hooked bill, overhung at the base by recurved loral feathers ; 
linear nostrils, placed far forward and covered by a horny plate ; 
metatarsi scutellated on both aspects; and a partly reversible 
outer toe. The wings are moderate, having ten primaries and 
twelve secondaries; the long, square tail has twelve feathers; the 
tongue is tapering, horny and channelled; a large aftershaft 1s 
present, and there is a considerable powder-down patch on each 
side of the rump. The head is grey, glossed with copper and 
green, the neck duller; the upper parts are shining green and 
coppery-red, the under parts grey with white abdomen. The 
shghtly larger female is reddish-brown above, with buff imarkings 
and only a dull gloss; the head is chiefly black, and the lower 
surface fawn-coloured spotted with black. This curious bird is very 
noisy throughout the day, uttering its note, which resembles the 
