NOTES ON THE HABITS OF SOME BIRDS, 
cautious bird ; always inhabiting the very thickest of the bush, so 
that it is very difficult to be got at. It is, without exception, the 
most offensive bird that I have ever met. It is infested with 
myriads of insects, in form and appearance precisely similar to the 
ticks found upon dogs — and having been left in my quarters for 
a night previous to being skinned, it rendered it so offensive, that 
it had to be regularly fumigated before the stench could be got 
rid of. Iris, crimson. 
“ Leptosomus ery thropterus, Sw. — (81) — This bird is usually 
seen sitting on the ground, and when disturbed, its flight is low and 
very heavy.” 
“ Vinago nudirostris — (38) — £, shot at Cape Coast Castle, 9th 
July. In its crop were a few soft berries. The only addition that 
I can make to the description of this bird, given in the ‘ Birds of 
Western Africa,’ is to state, that the colour of the feet, in the fresh 
specimen, is very light gilvous (sulphur colour) ; the his consists of 
two differently coloured rings — the inner of a yellow or saffron colour, 
the outer beautifully pink, both of the same breadth ; the basal 
half of the bill is very bright red, and the feathers arise from its 
base in such an abrupt manner, that they appear as if some of the 
smaller ones had been rubbed off. The most minute examination of 
the bird, when first shot, however, did not detect any remains oi 
such an accident. This bird does not appear common, at least at 
this season.” 
Turtur semitorquatus — (46) —Shot, Cape Coast Castle, 10th 
July. Was sitting with a large flock in a newly cultivated field. 
The crop, full of grain and berries ; bill, black ; the orbits naked, 
of a dull red ; the feet dull red. 
The specimen differs, in many respects, from Swainson’s descrip 
ti°n of T - semitorquatus, although in the greater number of char 
acters they are precisely similar. In this, the front, instead o 
“ vmaceous,” is very light grey ; the chin is whitish— but the vina 
ceous, on the under parts, extends to the belly, and blends withth 
°f« a “ d Under tail “ f eathers ; the wing-covers are th 
« " T T) ' ^ th<3 ° Uter sca P ulars (but have no whit 
edges), with a slight violet gloss upon the shoulders; the “ out; 
