142 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. ’ 
white, both the latter and the nests being like those of Pigeons. Mr. if 
Rickard says: “I once found an egg ina bird I shot at Hast London 
(Jan. 27th) : it was pure white, and the size of a tame Pigeon’s.” 
Mr. Bowker writes: ‘‘ I once found a Louri’s nest : it was just like a 
dove’s, built of sticks laid horizontally, and about the size of a large 
dinner plate, placed about ten feet from the ground in the centre of a 
round bush. The old bird flew out as I walked up ; I found five young 
birds in the nest; they were almost full grown, but their tails rather 
short and stumpy, crest just showing, but I cannot remember 
whether the red on the wing was showing or not. On my getting 
up to the nest they all flew out, and were killed by my dogs before I 
could come to the rescue. The bush was twenty or thirty yards from 
the edge of a large forest, and I was rather surprised to find this nest, 
as I had been told they built in hollow trees.” 
General colour, green, iridescent, with steel-blue on the wings and 
tail, and approaching to dull black, or rifle-green, on the thigh and 
vent; head much crested, each feather being tipped with white ; 
two white lines also extend from the corner of the bill, and passing 
on each side of the eye, reunite behind it. The wings when expanded 
display the most brilliant carmine, glossed with purple; bill orange- 
brown; legs black; iris brown. Length, 19 inches; wing, 1°5; 
tail, 9°9; tarsus, 1:9. 
Fig. Schlegel and Westerm. Toerak. pl. 11. 
129. CoryTHaiIx PoRPHYREOLOPHA. Purple-crested Plantain-Eater. 
Turacus porphyreolophus, Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 224. 
This very beautiful bird has been found at the Knysna; but is 
there extremely scarce. It increases in numbers as the collector 
travels eastward, until at Natal, as we are informed, it is not un- 
common. Dr. Smith states that it inhabits thickets near the coast, 
feeding upon fruits, &c. 
The following note is extracted from Captain Shelley’s paper on 
the birds observed by him in South Africa :—‘ This handsome species 
is fairly plentiful about Durban, especially in the less frequented 
woods to the east of the Umgeni and at Pinetown, where its 
loud rough notes, somewhat resembling the word ‘ Tourakoo,’ 
repeated successively several times, may be frequently heard in the 
morning and evening. It resorts mostly to the larger trees, where I 
