CORYTHAIX MUSOPHAGA. 141 
violet and inclining to purple or steel-blue towards the middle ; 
eight primaries barred with white, extending across the outer web 
on all excepting the three outermost, on which it is confined to the 
inner web only ; inner primary coyerts pure white, forming a dis- 
tinct alar spot; tail-feathers steel-blue, more or less inclining to 
violet at the tips and on the margins, all of them waved under 
certain lights ; ear-coverts dull greenish black; rest of the under 
surface black glossed with violet, especially on the throat, which has 
also a steel-blue lustre; bill and feet blackish; iris dusky. Total 
length, 9°8 inches ; culmen, 1°2 ; wing, 4°05 ; tail, 5:3 ; tarsus, 0.7. 
Fam. MUSOPHAGIDA. 
128. CorYTHAIX MUSOPHAGA. White-crested Plantain-Hater. 
Turacus persa, Layard, B.S. Afr. p. 223. 
This species is truly South African and is not found out of our 
limits: it is very common in the forest districts, especially about the 
Knysna, where it was procured by Victorin from March to July and 
again in October and November. Mr. Rickard records it from East 
London, and Mr. T. C. Atmore forwarded many examples from 
Hland’s Post. It ranges as high as Natal, whence we have seen 
_ several specimens. Captain Shelley writes, “A pair of these birds 
flew across my path while in the thick wood about twelve miles east 
of the Umgeni, when I procured one.” Mr. F. A. Barratt has shot 
specimens in the Lydenburg district, at the foot of the western slope 
of the Drakensberg. 
This Plantain-eater feeds on fruits and frequents the highest trees, 
rarely if ever descending to the ground, over which it can, however, 
travel with great rapidity if brought down by a shot. The motions 
of this species are very graceful and light, and performed with an ease 
and rapidity that delight the eye of the beholder. Strange to say, 
though we inquired carefully, we never could obtain any information 
respecting the nidification of this beautiful and common bird. Mr. 
Atmore, however, states that the eggs are white; but this must be 
from hearsay, as he writes: “ How difficult it is to find these forest 
birds’ nests. The Lories are breeding now: but for the life of me 
I cannot find a nest. The young ones go in troops, and are delicious 
eating : the old ones in pairs. We never shoot specimens out of a 
troop, except for the pot.” An old forester told him that the eggs were 
