MUSOPHAGID^ 



SCHIZORHIS 



221 



land, it is abundant in suitable localities up to the Zambesi, and 

 beyond in Angola and Nyasaland ; it is not however included by 

 Reichenow in the fauna of German east Africa. 



The following are the chief recorded localities : Zululand 

 Ulundi (Woodward); Transvaal Lydenburg district (Francis in 

 S. A. Mus.), Swaziland (Bt. Mus.), Rustenburg and Marico 

 (Barratt) ; Bechuanaland from the Malopo river northward 

 (Holub), Kanye (Exton), Lake Ngami district (Andersson) ; 

 Rhodesia Matabeleland (Holub), Salisbury, Bulawayo road 

 (Sowerby) ; German south-west Africa Otjimbinque and Oka- 

 vango river (Andersson) ; Portuguese east Africa Tete (Bt. Mus.). 



Habits. The "Go-way" bird, as it is generally called by 

 hunters and travellers, is usually seen in small parties of from six to 

 twelve birds clumsily and lackadaisically making short flights from 

 one clump of trees to another ; they are seldom very far from water 

 and during the heat of the day effectually conceal themselves in the 

 central and densest portions of large and thick foliaged trees. They 

 erect and depress their crests at will and in this respect as well as 

 in many other ways resemble the Colies or Mouse-birds in their 

 habits : hence the Dutch name. 



Their food consists chiefly of berries and fruits and they are said 

 to be specially fond of the berries of the mistletoe and other parasitic 

 plants. They are not exclusively frugivorous however, as remains 

 of insects have been found in their stomachs and Holub states that 

 they even kill and devour small birds, feathers and all. Though 

 wary and shy as a rule they are often betrayed by their harsh and 

 loud cry of " kway-kway " from which the Colonial name is derived. 

 This, which is constantly repeated, is compared by some to the 

 mewing of a cat and by others to the " agonised scream of a young 

 buck seized by a dog." Hunters execrate this bird as it so often 

 warns the game cf their approach. 



Nests of this bird were found by Eriksson in November and 

 December on the Limpopo and by Andersson in January at Omapju 

 in Damaraland. They are rough structures composed of a few sticks 

 put together in the fork of a tree, so untidily that the eggs can 

 generally be seen through from below. The eggs, three in number, 

 of a dull bluish-white colour, are somewhat large for the size of the 

 bird. 



