Birds from Sierra Leone. 217 



"cock of the woods ^' or '^ woodcock/' The Mendis call 

 them " goe," but I believe the name " turacu " is also some- 

 times used by the natives. 



By remaining quiet in a patch of bush or forest where I 

 heard these birds, and imitating their call, I Avas often able 

 to attract them quite close. The effect of the sunlight 

 shining through the carmine of the wings when they are 

 flying is very fine. 



Corythaeola cristata. 



Never observed by me in the Peninsula, but fairly common 

 up country, especially in the strips of heavy forest along the 

 river-banks and in the patches of sacred forest left standing 

 near the towns and villages. It goes about in flocks of four 

 or five to ten or so. 



Though a very much larger bird, its call is not nearly so 

 loud as that of the two species of Turacus, which occur in 

 the same districts. 



Chizserhis africana. 



Does not appear to be at all common. I only observed 

 it on one or two occasions, and never in the Peninsula. 



Family Cypselid^. 

 Chsetura sabinei. 

 Only seen occasionally. One specimen obtained. 



Tachornis parvus brachypterus. 



Common and, I think, resident all the year round. 



Apus affinis. 



A colony of these birds nests in the roof of the military 

 hospital at Tower Hill, Freetown. I seldom observed them 

 anywhere else. They disappeared about the end of July and 

 reappeared in November. 



Family CAPRiMULGiDiB. 



Scotornis climacurus. 



Very common. During May, at dui?k, they were to be 

 heard all around. The note is a sustained " churr-rr-rr," 

 very similar to the sound made by an alarm clock with a 



