NATURAL HISTORY. 255 
time in their home. My eventual departure from Msuata 
terminated this interesting aquaintance. There are no 
true bustards on the Congo, although certain species are 
found not far south in Angola; there are, however, a few 
small otidine forms, one of which I noticed near Isangila, 
looking like a very tiny bustard, with some resemblance 
to a closely-allied family, the coursers. It is a most 
delicately-coloured little bird—cream, fawn, black, and 
white. I do not yet know its generic name; but there is 
a specimen in the Museum of the African International 
Association at Brussels. 
Guinea-fowl are not common on the Congo. I have 
only met with them to any extent near Bolobo, where the 
species present was Vuwmida cristata. -Francolin may be 
shot from time to time, and make a most agreeable supple- 
ment to the traveller’s frugal meal. 
Among the Pigeons (Zreron), a common genus, repre- 
sented by 7. calva, a fruit pigeon, with green or greenish- 
orey body, and feet that are very nearly zygodactyle. A 
beautiful bird, found in the forests all along the Upper 
river,and in the neighbourhood of Stanley Pool, is the 
oreat blue plantain-eater (Schizorhis gigantea), with a 
general plumage of verditer-blue, relieved by a yellow- 
ereen stomach, chestnut thighs, and a violet crest. This 
bird is difficult to shoot, as 1t is very shy and hides much 
among the thick foliage of the great trees; but on one 
occasion I managed to bag him, and, after taking off his 
beautiful skin, we roasted him for dinner, and his flesh 
was moist, juicy and delicious. He feeds principally on 
wild figs and the scarlet dates of a species of Calamus 
palm. A young Belgian officer tried to keep one of these 
birds alive on bananas, but he refused to eat anything but 
the above-mentioned fruits, and, the supply of these being 
scanty, he sickened and died. This bird may be said to 
be the only one of his group that has the toes distinctly — 
arranged three in front and one behind. All the other 
plantain-eaters and touracos are either distinctly zygodac- 
tyle, or else, as in Schizorhis concolor, the toes are what 
one might call “ undecided.”  Colius, as we all know, can 
