Birds oj Gambia. 
255 
Tlic (irccii 'rurac'dus arc not at all coiiuiioii in tlio (Jainhia and 
arc only fduud in tlu! more Uiickiy wooded parts of ttic conutry, 
such as Foyiii and the adjoining jiortions of Koniho. Tlicir chief 
eharai'tei'istic (which they shaie with the next genus, Mnsophnrjn) is 
the fad that tlie colour of the crimson wing-patches is due lo the 
presence of a i)eculiar i)igiucnt Tvu'acin), which is partially soluble 
in water, so that after severe rain the colouring matter may he more 
or less washed out and the patch look a dirty yellow, the colour re- 
turnini': again in a short time when the bird dries. 
MiLsopluHja violacea. VIOLET TURACO. 
Ratifje. West Afiica, Senegambia to Cameroons. (11. L.) 
Commoidy known here as the Blue Kowkow^, while the name 
Green Kowkow is applied to birds of the preceding genus, and 
Grey Kowkow to Schizorhis, the "Woodcock" of the Bathurst boys. 
The word "Kowkow" is the Mandingo name for the last-named 
and is derived from its note. In the same language the Violet 
Turaco is called either Kowkow wulima (Red Kowkow), or Kowkow 
mansa (King of the Kowkows). 
The Blue Tui'aco is much commoner than the green, osi)eci- 
ally in the upper part of the Pi'otectorate, whei'e it haunts the thicket 
growth along the river banks, showing a marked partiality for dense 
palm -jungle, in such situations they are almost always to be found, 
in pairs or small family parties, flying from tree to tree with a 
peculiar slow and characteristic flight and calling to each other 
with rather croaky cries. 
Description. Above metallic violet-blue with a darker tail, 
crown wiiich has only the merest suggestion of a crest, and hind- 
neck covered with short hairy crimson feathers; throat violet; 
chest, glossy greenish blue; belly and under surface of tail dead 
black ; wings violet, like the back, with a brilliant crimson alar patch 
and black tips to the quill -feathers. Circum-ocular region lii-ight 
scarlet with a line of white feathers from below the eye to the ear. 
Bill, in the flesh, brilliant scarlet ; the upper mandible prolonged 
backwards and flattened at its base to form a frontal plate, bright 
yellow in colour. After death the red of the beak soon fades and 
turns yellow, becoming the same colour as the frontal plate. Legs 
black. Iris burnt-sienna brown. Length IG inches. 
Corylluc.ola cristuta. GIANT TURACO. 
Range. West Africa, Senegambia to Ang(jla; Eijuatori.il 
Africa. (H.L.) 
This bird I have never seen here. It is much larger than 
than the preceding species, (25 inches) and has no red wing-patch. 
Its general colour above is verditer blue passing into black on the 
crest and nape; chest pale green, abdomen and rest of under surfai;e 
rufous brown. 
Schizorhis africana. VARIEGATED TURACO. 
Range. West Africa, Senegambia to Congo. (H.L.) 
This species is extremely common in Gambia and differs from 
