AFRICA. 307 
This bird is almoft of the fize of the black- 
bird ; its plumage, which is of a golden 
green, refledls fomewhat of purple^ its long 
tail is (hapcd like the head of a lance^ and, 
like the feathers of the wings, it is beauti- 
fully fpotted with v/hite : the bill, which is 
hooked and long, is remarkable as well as 
the feet, by being of a moil beautiful red 
colour. It climbs along the branches of 
trees, to find infedls on which it feeds; and 
when they conceal themfelves under the 
barkj it detaches it very dexterouily with its 
beak. 
We muft not call this bird a wood-pecker, 
though it feems to have a confiderable fc- 
femblance to it. Very effential charafterif- 
tics, as will afterwards appear, feparate it 
from that clafs. 
Having one evening remarked that they 
came in flocks, without any precaution, or 
being in the lead: alarmed at our prefence, to 
repofe in different holes in the trunk of a 
large tree, near which we were encamped, I 
ordered feveral of thefe holes to be clofed ; 
and next morning, when I opened them with 
great care, I had the pleafure of feizing thefe 
birds by their bills, as they made their ap« 
X 2 pearancg 
