212 MUSOPHAGID^ TUEACUS 



white eggs measuring 1-08 x 0-95. The bird was on the nest 

 sitting, the eggs being slightly incubated. 



" Unless one is fortunate in noticing the birds building, the nest 

 is very difficult to discover, and consequently few are observed." 



Family II. MTTSOPHAGlDuE. 



Bill stout and short ; head always crested ; wing with ten 

 primaries ; tail of ten feathers ; feet semi-zygodactyle, i.e., the 

 fourth toe turned forwards or backwards at the will of the bird ; 

 nest open like that of a pigeon ; eggs white. Anatomical characters 

 are : oil gland present and tufted ; spinal feather tract well denned 

 on the neck and continued down the back without forking. 



A peculiar red colouring matter named turacin is found in the 

 wing-feathers of most of the birds of this family. A more detailed 

 account of the matter is given below in the notice of the habits of 

 Turacus corythaix. 



This family, at the present day, is strictly limited to the con- 

 tinental portion of the Ethiopian region. 



Key of the Genera. 



A. Wing-quills coloured red with turacin. 



a. Nostrils entirely concealed by the frontal feathers Turacus, p. 212. 

 6. Nostrils exposed, about half way between the tip 



of the bill and the frontal feathers Gallirex, p. 217. 



B. Wing- quills ashy like the rest of the plumage, no 



red colouring matter ; nostrils linear, nearer the 



forehead than the base of the bill Schizorhis, p. 219. 



Genus I. TURACUS. 



Type. 



Turacus, Cuv.LegonsAnat. Comp.i, Tab. 2 (1800). .T. macrorhynchus. 



Bill appearing very small, the posterior portion being hidden 

 by the frontal feathers which also conceal the nostrils ; head 

 strongly crested ; wings rounded, the secondaries about equal to 

 the primaries in length, the wing shorter than the tail ; first 

 primary more than half the length of the fifth, the longest ; tail 

 of ten feathers slightly rounded and graduated; tarsus strong, 

 fourth or outer toe reversible at will ; plumage chiefly green 



