THE BIRDS OF LIBERIA 641 
of decay destroy it nearly as fast as it forms. The abundance of ants of various 
species both ground- and tree-living, affords a staple source of food to many 
species of birds, mammals, and reptiles, but the hordes of driver ants that 
travel in dense columns and here and there spread out to overrun square rods 
of territory and devour every living animal in their path must help to make 
the country largely untenable for many ground-living or ground-nesting species. 
A large proportion of the birds of Liberia are typically forest-dwelling. 
Characteristic among these are several of the hawks and eagles, as the great 
Crowned Hawk-eagle (Stephanoaétus), that probably preys chiefly on monkeys, 
the Gold Coast Serpent-eagle (Dryotriorchis) confined to the West Coast forests, 
the handsome little Hartlaub’s Sparrowhawk (Accipiter hartlaubi) and the 
larger West African Goshawk (Astur tachiro macroscelides) both of which haunt 
the shady thickets and forest trees preying on insects and small birds. Several 
species of pigeons are found in the forest. The beautiful Green Fruit Pigeon 
(Vinago calva sharpet) and the Banded Pigeon (Columba unicincta) haunt the 
tree tops while in the denser undergrowth are the ground-living species such 
as the Tambourine Dove (Tympanistria t. fraser’), more often heard than seen 
in the forest depths, and the rarer blue and chestnut Odu Dove (Calopelia 
puella). Birds of the forest undergrowth also are the Latham’s Francolin, spotted 
black and white, and the rare White-necked Guinea-fowl (Agclastes). The 
West African Crested Guinea-fowl is also a forest-dweller, seldom seen, though 
often coming out from the forest to feed in secluded clearings and old rice-fields 
of the natives. At least two species of large wood rails (Himantornis haematopus 
and Canirallus oculeus), perhaps also Sarothrura pulchra, occur in the swamps 
of the forest, and are snared by the natives at openings in small fences run 
for hundreds of feet through the woods. The common Touraco (Turacus macro- 
rhynchus) is one of the noisy species whose loud woodeny calls resound in the 
forest, and like its relative the big Blue Plantain-eater (Corythaeola) may often 
be seen running along the branches or scaling from tree to tree in short flights. 
The common Gray Parrot (Psittacus ertithacus timneh) and the rarer Black- 
collared Love-bird (Agapornis swinderniana) feed by day in the tall tree-tops, 
or fly screeching by high overhead. MHornbills of several sorts also frequent 
the upper story of the forest, feeding on fruits of various kinds. Most con- 
spicuous are the big Yellow-casqued Hornbill (Ceratogymna elata) and its rarer 
relative the Black-wattled species (C. atrata), whose heavy wingbeats may 
often be heard overhead though the birds themselves cannot be seen for the 
dense foliage. The Long-tailed White-crested Hornbill (Tropicranus) and sev- 
eral smaller species of the genus Lophoceros are common, though the latter 
are as often found on the edges of woods and in trees bordering clearings. Twice 
we found the big Eagle-owl (Bubo leucostictus) by day in deep forest or resting 
in huge silk-cotton trees and no doubt other owls are chiefly confined to the 
forested area. The Trogon (Apaloderma) is especially interesting as a bird so 
closely associated with heavy tree growth that in Africa it has retained a foot- 
hold in the forest region only and is represented by various relatives in similar 
surroundings in the New World tropics. Several species of sunbirds haunt the 
