ZOOLOGY 401 



hornbill, an instance of force of circumstances transforming a " small " 

 bird of arboreal habits (in its origin) into a large ground-frequenting bird, 

 the short legs of its family becoming long, and its whole outward 

 appearance presenting a remarkable but misleading resemblance to the 

 gallinaceous birds. In the forests may be seen — and heard — the large 

 black and white hornbills with enormous helmeted beaks. The cry of 

 these birds is unusually loud, penetrating, and varied in sound, sometimes 

 resembling the raving cries of a woman maddened by fright and pain, at 

 other times being the caricature of a donkey's bray. The smaller hornbills 

 of the genus Toccns, with their black, white, and brown plumage, and 

 black or red beaks, are very common, especially in the east and central 

 parts of the Protectorate. Being absolutely uneatable and not usually 

 attractive in plumage, they are bold, and constantly thrusting themselves 

 on the traveller's notice. 



Amongst parrots, there is the grey parrot of West Africa, not differing 

 at all in colour of plumage from the parrots found along the course of 

 the Congo. The range of this bird would appear to be increasing rapidly 

 at the present time. About iifty years ago (according to the stories of 

 Arabs and Swahilis) it liad just reached the west coast of Tanganyika, and 

 had perhaps penetrated eastwards in the Uganda Protectorate as far as 

 Kavirondo. It has now made its way across to the north end of Lake 

 Nyasa and to the east coast of Tanganyika, and thence up the course of the 

 Malagarazi River. From Kavirondo it has spread eastwards to the Nandi 

 forests and thence right across the Eift A'alley to Kikuyu, whence it will 

 probably soon reach the east coast of Africa. Already this bird would 

 seem to be developing sub-species that may in time become valid species. 

 Besides Psittacus temneh of Sierra Leone, which is a distinct s])ecies and 

 a grey parrot without a red tail, the grey parrots of Prince's Island, off 

 the coast of Lower Guinea, are becoming different in coloration to the 

 ordinary type. The grey plumage is developing into a dull ])ur})le, while 

 the scarlet tail is becoming violet-red, the upper mandible of the beak has 

 lengthened, and in some respects the jjarrot in Prince's Island is taking 

 the place of the raptorial birds, which the natives say it is driving from the 

 island. In the interior of Angola and the south-western part of the Congo 

 basin the grey of the grey parrot is turning to white and pink, some of 

 these birds actually becoming pink all over, with a scarlet tail. In Uganda 

 the plumage is the normal colour as we know it — ash-grey and whitish 

 grey, with a bright scarlet tail. The young birds are captured by the 

 natives from the nesting places (holes in trees) and are easily tamed. 

 Yet as far as I can ascertain the Baganda never commenced this practice 

 until taught to do so by the Swahili porters from the coast, who of course 

 were incited thereto by the Europeans and Indians ; for it very rarely 

 VOL. I. 26 



