PLANTAIN-EATERS 183 



{Turacus corythaix). It is too well known with its green 

 plumage, white-tipped crest and red and black wing feathers 

 to need any detailed description. Length, about 18 to 19 

 inches. 



It is a thorough forest-loving species, frequenting the 

 wooded kloofs, where its loud hoarse croaking cry can be 

 heard morning and evening. It lives on wild fruits of various 

 kinds, and builds a flat nest of sticks from 6 to 16 feet above 

 the ground, and usually lays two eggs of a pure white colour 

 and rounded oval in shape. The peculiar part of the red 

 colouring matter of the wings is that it contains a large 

 amount of copper (about 7 per cent.), originally analysed by 

 Professor Church. A friend of ours, a chemist of the dyna- 

 mite factory, confirmed the copper content of the feathers, 

 but with regard to the theory that the red can be washed 

 out with soap and water, we are sorry to say we cannot 

 confirm this in toto. It certainly does get paler during wet 

 weather and in old skins, but we have never seen it wash out 

 in nature, and have tried to do so artificially with soap and 

 water, but without result. 



This species ranges from George in the Cape Colony to 

 Lydenburg in the Transvaal. There is another species in 

 the northern portions of the sub-continent, Livingstone's 

 Lourie, characterised by the crest being much lengthened 

 and pointed in front. 



The Purple-crested Lourie {Gallirex porphyreolophus) is 

 the commoner species in the Northern Transvaal, ranging 

 from Natal to the Zambesi along the Eastern line. It has 

 the top of the head and crest glossy purple, lower back wings 

 and tail lilac blue. Length, about 17 inches. It is not un- 

 common in the Woodbush on the Great Letaba River in the 

 Zoutpansberg District, and has been procured at Nelspruit 

 by Mr. A. Duncan of Johannesburg. 



