XXIX 
CRESTS OR TOP-KNOTS 
361 
The European hoopoe visits the Nile Valley and 
British East Africa in winter. The African hoopoe 
has feathers of a deeper red than the European 
species and the wing-markings are different. The 
Wood-Hoopoes of East Africa are interesting birds; 
they have no crest but a long tail and their plumage is 
iridescent. These noisy birds climb the trunks of trees 
in spite of their long tails and hunt for insects in the 
bark like woodpeckers. 
The Great Crested Touraco {Coryihcxola cristatus). This hand¬ 
some coloured bird has an abundant but untidy top-knot. 
It is the largest member of the family Musophagidoi, which 
is the Latinised expression of plantain-eater. The noise 
made by Touracos is one of the characteristic sounds of a 
Uganda forest. 
The Touracos, plantain-eaters or Lowries, are peculiar 
to the African forests. They are striking birds and 
arrest attention either on account of the noises they 
make, or their beautiful plumage. Touracos may be 
said to haunt the forest and they delight in pursuing 
each other between the trunks or among the branches 
of the highest trees. The noises they make resemble 
men bawling to each other, and similar animal sounds. 
