52 THE FARMER'S FOES 



forbearance, as they present themselves directly the fruit 

 commences to ripen, and devour all those which ripen 

 first, just as the fruit is " on the turn," and scarcely fit 

 yet for human consumption. 



These Bulbuls are the favourite hosts of the Jacobin, 

 Black and White, and Crested Cuckoos. 



Although great fruit-eaters, they are the first birds to 

 warn one of the proximity of a snake, and they consume 

 a fair number of insects, especially when feeding their 

 young. 



We can do no better than give an excerpt of the key 

 by Dr. E. Hartert, in "Novitates Zoologies." (" On the 

 African forms of the Genus Pycnonotus ") : 



I. Pycnonotus barbatus. Eyelid, feathered. 



a. P. b. tricolor. South West Africa North to the Congo. 



(Under tail-coverts yellow ; crown brown.) 



b. P. b. layardi. Eastern Cape Colony, northwards to Lake 



Nyassa. 



(Under tail-coverts yellow ; crown black.) 



II. Pycnonotus capensis. Eyelids protruding, wattle like. 



a. P. c. capensis. Southern parts Cape Colony. 



(Eyelid mostly whitish ; underside brownish, paler in the 

 middle of the abdomen.) 



b. P. c. nigricans. Central Cape Colony, northwards to Transvaal 



in the East and Benguela in the West. 



(Under surface, except throat, whitish ; crown black. Eye-lid 

 bright reddish, or " chrome-orange.") 



These birds are of a general dark brown colour above and 

 are known by various " local " or vernacular names, such 

 as " Tiptol " in the Eastern Cape, " Geelgat " or " Kuif- 

 kop" of the Dutch, " Topknot " or "Black Head" in 

 Natal. It is also occasionally called the " Blackcap." 



MOU8EBIRDS. 



The Mousebirds, or Colies (Family Coliidce), are as 

 bad at fruit-thieving as the Bulbuls, if not more so, and 

 devour large quantities of apricots, plurns, peaches, &c. 



