Sydney Porter~Notes on the Barer Foreign Softhills 183



friends or not, and now after several years, though perfectly tame,

he always needs a little coaxing and talking to before he will take

a mealworm from one’s hand. He is very gentle and the only time

one sees him in anything approaching a temper is when he is holding

his own against a pair of Jay-thrushes but in the end he always has

to give way to the combined efforts of these two determined birds.


Cory,” for that is his name, is seen at his best when trying to

intimidate the Jay-thrushes. His large, fan-like, metallic green tail is

spread to its full size and the beautiful chestnut wings are spread so

that they almost meet in front of the breast, while the loose, light

plumage is puffed out. In fact he then looks quite a formidable

adversary.


This bird is easy to keep ; in fact all the Coucals are. A good

insectivorous food, minced raw meat, a small dead mouse on occasion,

and a few mealworms keep him in fine condition. Cold he cannot stand,

so we bring him into the bird-room from his outside aviary as soon

as the first nip of winter is in the air.


Coucals are beautifully shaped birds, reminding one of Touracos,

but unlike these birds the body is held horizontally.


The brilliant ruby eye with its black eyelashes give the bird a quiet

and dignified expression which is in keeping with his nature. In the

outdoor aviary we have a heap of twigs in one corner through which

the grass grows, and in this the Coucal is very much at home, creeping

in and out during the whole day.


Two Coucals with which I was familiar in a state of liberty

were Burchell’s Coucal (Centrops burchelli) and the Senegal Coucal

(C. senegalensis). The former bird is practically terrestrial and lives

in the long reeds and grasses in the swampy valleys of Portuguese

East Africa, where it is more often heard than seen, owing to its very

striking call. The latter bird is more arboreal and is seldom seen on

the ground, but frequents the mimosa trees by the rivers and swamps.

In a wild state I believe these birds feed to a great extent upon

caterpillars.


The White-crested Jay-thrushes


Not a great deal has been written about these extraordinarily

handsome birds, but one sees almost as soon as they come into one’s



