THE WHITE-CHEEKED HELMET BIRD (Corythaix leucotis).
We are much better informed as to the habits of
The HELMET BIRDS (Corythaix). These elegant and brilliantly-coloured birds are slenderly formed, with rounded wings, of which the fifth quill is longer than the rest. The tail is of medium size, the beak short and triangular, furnished with a slight hook at the extremity of the upper mandible; the nostrils are partially covered by the feathers on the brow, the plumage is rich; upon the head the feathers are prolonged so as to form a kind of helmet composed of green feathers. The wings are of an uniform purplish red, and the eyes surrounded by a bare flesh-coloured ring. All the various members of this group are remarkably alike, both in their appearance and mode of life.
THE WHITE-CHEEKED HELMET BIRD.
The White-cheeked Helmet Bird (Corythaix leucotis) is an inhabitant of Abyssinia; the colour of this species is for the most part green: the beak and wings are deep greenish violet, the tail is blackish violet, marked with dark coloured undulating lines; the belly and legs are deep grey. The helmet is dark green; a spot in front of the light brown eyes, and a streak which passes from the ear to the fore part of the throat are pure white; the wings are of a magnificent bright red, and bordered with yellowish green. The eye is surrounded by a ring of small reddish brown warts; the upper mandible is green, as far as the nostrils, and blood-red at its tip; the feet are brownish grey. The length of this species is about seventeen inches, its breadth twenty-one inches and a half; its wing measures six inches and three-quarters, and the tail eight inches and a quarter; the female is somewhat smaller than her mate, but does not differ from him in other respects. The Helmet Bird is found either at a considerable altitude in the mountains, or frequenting well-watered and thickly-wooded valleys, where it passes the greatest part of its life in flying from one tree to another in small flocks, only coming to the ground for a few moments at a time when in want of food, and immediately returning to seek shelter in the branches. When occupied in this manner the movements of this species resemble those of the Jackdaw, for the whole party does not alight at the same time, but steal down one by one, preserving the strictest silence, and after following exactly in the steps of their leader, return to the sycamore or tamarind tree that has been selected as a general rendezvous; here they assemble regularly both at night and during the mid-day heat, and when thus congregated at the summits of the branches, present a spectacle of such brilliancy and beauty as cannot fail to excite the admiration of all who see them. They hop and fly with the greatest liveliness and activity from bough to bough, and, apparently, are by no means desirous of eluding observation. Their flight is undulating, and effected by a series of violent strokes until the desired height is attained; the bird then spreads its wings as though to display itself to the utmost advantage, and sinks slowly towards the ground before again rising and continuing its course. During these evolutions the neck is outstretched, the head elevated, and the tail alternately opened and closed. The voice of the Helmet Bird is very peculiar, and has somewhat the effect of ventriloquism, often misleading the listener as to the position of the owner. We found both berries and seeds in the crops of some specimens that we killed, and observed that they were always most numerous in localities where the former abounded; we also procured a pure white egg from the ovary of the female Helmet Bird, which was not unlike the egg of a domestic pigeon, both in size and shape, but distinguishable from it by the superior delicacy and polish of the shell; the nest we could never discover, but believe it to be built in the trunk of a tree. These birds are so extremely shy and restless, as to render their capture a work of great difficulty, if the sportsman should not succeed in taking them unawares whilst disporting themselves in the crowns of their favourite trees. Verreaux mentions a very curious fact connected with this species, namely, that the magnificent purple of the tail-feathers entirely loses its beauty when exposed to moisture, and that the colour may be rubbed off with the fingers when wet; but as soon as the plumage is dry it recovers its full brilliancy of tint. A strange illustration of this peculiarity was afforded in the case of a Helmet Bird in the Amsterdam Zoological Gardens, which, having been seized with cramp, was drenched with cold water; some hours afterwards the creature died, and it was then discovered that the wing upon which it lay was still wet, and had changed from red to blue, while the upper wing had dried before death ensued, and had therefore regained its full gorgeousness of hue.
THE TURAKO.
The Turako (Corythacola cristata) may be regarded as the giant of this family. It is a very remarkable species, resembling the Helmet Birds in some respects, but differing from them in others so decidedly as to cause it to be regarded by some as the type of a distinct group. These birds are remarkable for the great size of their limbs, and also present marked peculiarities in the formation of the beak, and in the crests with which their heads are adorned. Their body is powerfully constructed, the wings of moderate size, and rather pointed, the fifth quill being longer than the rest, the fourth and sixth, however, almost equalling it in length; the tail consists of ten broad rounded feathers, slightly graduated at the sides; the tarsi are short and strong, the toes long, and armed with thick claws; the beak is powerful, and decidedly arched, somewhat rounded at the roof, and indented at its edges. The crest is formed by elongation of the feathers upon the brow and top of the head, the region of the eyes and bridles are also covered with feathers. The plumage is thick and soft, and upon the under part of the body slightly downy. In size this species will bear comparison with the Raven. Its length is about two feet two inches, the wing measures one foot, and the tail one foot and one or two inches. A bright green or Turkish blue usually predominates in the coloration of the feathers; those which form the crest are, on the contrary, black, tipped with dark blue; the breast and fore part of the belly are yellowish green, the rest of the under portion of the bird pale reddish brown, the tail greenish blue, tipped with bright blue, and marked with a broad streak of black towards its extremity. The beak is yellow, lighter in shade towards its base; the feet are of a leaden hue. The male and female resemble each other, but the young are without the crest, and have the throat bare; the beak and upper part of the head are black, and the whole coat much paler than in the adults.
The habitat of the Turako is confined to Western Africa, where it exclusively frequents such tracts as are well watered and thickly planted with trees, living in the same manner as the Helmet Birds, and rarely flying for any length of time, owing to the great difficulty it has in sustaining its heavy body, or rising to any great height in the air. Juicy fruits, such as figs or bananas, constitute its favourite food, but it will also eat grasshoppers and a variety of insects, and is said to do great mischief in plantations by the quantities that it devours. The Turako is constantly on the alert against danger, and on the slightest alarm raises its crest, which is usually laid flat, elevates its head, and turns about with every symptom of fear, previous to seeking safety in some other locality, where it conceals itself from pursuit with so much skill as to render its capture a work of difficulty, in spite of the observation it attracts by its loud, hoarse cry.