332 NATURAL HISTORY. 



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 at this nest, as I had been told 

 they built in hollow trees.' " In size this species is about nineteen inches long; the general colour is 

 green, with a broad white tip to the feathers of the crest, the abdomen and vent are blackish, the qiiills 

 brilliant carmine. 



The false Touracoes, as Dr. Sclater calls them, do not possess the red colouring of the wings, but 

 are for the most part of a uniform grey colour. The best known species is 



THE GREY PLANTAIN-EATER (Schizorhis concolor). 



This is also found in South Africa, but in different districts to the White-crested Plantain-eater. 

 Where the range of the latter ceases that of the present bird begins, and it is found throughout the 

 Matabele country and the Transvaal as far as the Zambesi, and westwards through Damara Land to 

 Angola. Mr. Andersson writes: "It is partial to localities abounding in large trees; and when 

 prominently perched, with crest erect, it is not unlike a gigantic Coly. It also climbs and flies like 

 the Colies, which it strongly resembles in its general habits. It is usually found in small flocks, and 

 feeds on berries and seeds, especially those of mistletoe and of other parasitical plants, and also 011 

 fruits, young shoots, and insects. The Damaras call this species ' Ongoro-oroquena,' from the extra- 

 ordinary and almost human cry with which it frequently startles the traveller who is passing near its 

 perch. It is sometimes very easy to approach these birds, whilst at other times they are so shy that 

 they will defy the utmost exertions which may be made to obtain them. On January 5th, 1867, I 

 obtained three eggs of this species, of a dull bluish-white colour, at Omapja, from a boy, who told me 

 that the nest which contained them was composed of sticks roughly put together, and situated in a 

 tree at some distance from the ground ; and on March 1st I met with a nest in Ondonga placed in a 

 tree, but at no gi-eat elevation, which also contained three eggs, much incubated." Dr. Exton, also, 

 who has been through the Matabele country, writes as follows : " In travelling through the Bechuana 

 country one often comes upon a party of five or six of these birds, hiding from the mid-day heats 

 under the sheltered portions of dense foliage near the centre of a large tree. Whilst yet undisturbed, 

 the crest lies flat on the head, and can only be seen as a tuft projecting from the occiput. But their 

 first act on becoming aware of an intruder is to run along the branches, either to the summit of the 

 tree or to the extremity of a branch commanding a good look-out, where, with crest fully erected and 

 well thrown forward, they keep up a constant reiteration of their note. If but little alarmed they 

 move rapidly from branch to branch, frequently jerking up the crest, and assuming an attitude of 

 attention. Again, after flight from one tree to another, on alighting, they first rest on a branch, with 

 the body somewhat horizontal and the tail drawn nearly to the perpendicular, as if assuring them- 

 elves of their equilibrium, and then raising the body, elongating their neck, and at the same time 

 elevating the crest, they seem to take an observation as to the security of their new position. So 

 much is this a habit of the bird, that during the conversational difficulties of my earlier intercourse 

 with the Bechuanas, when inquiring for the nest of Schizorhis (the native name of which is 

 ' Ma-quaai '), as soon as it dawned upon the mind of a native what bird I meant he has imitated 

 its note, accompanied by a sudden jerking up of the hand, with his fingers extended to the utmost, 

 as if at the same time to mimic the elevation of the crest. Dr. Sclater mentions that ' Mr. J. J. 

 Monteiro, speaking of the Grey False Touraco (S. concolor), as observed in Benguella, expressly 

 states that the crest-feathers are always carried erect.' In my own experience, the observation of 

 Schizorhis was an eveiy-day occurrence ; and, as I have stated, when undisturbed (also when in 

 flight) veiy little of the crest is to be seen, but is invariably carried erect on. the least alarm. I may 

 here mention a peculiar scream of S. concolor. I was one day walking along a low ridge of rocks, 

 from which I flushed an Owl the common Bubo maculosus that flew to some distance to a clump of 

 trees. Presently I heard an agonised scream, such as is made by a young Antelope when seized by a 

 Dog ; and so exact a repetition of the sound was it that even my Dogs were deceived by it, and 

 rushed off in the direction whence it came. I also sent a Kaffir boy, and presently followed myself, 

 when I discovered it was the frightful scream of Schizorhis, of which a party were collected round 

 the Owl I had previously disturbed, and whose presence appeared to be the exciting cause. At a 

 later period I had a second opportunity of verifying this observation." 



