Observations.—The Tourako, which I have seen, belonging to his Highness the Duke of Saxe Meiningen, is one of the most elegant, mildest, and tamest of all foreign birds which I know. Its cry is couc, couc, couc, at first repeated slowly and distinctly, afterwards more quickly, and then in a rapid and continued succession. Notwithstanding the form of its feet it does not climb or hop, but runs as quickly as any partridge across the room, and often, pressing its wings against its body, makes several long leaps of ten feet.
Food.—The tongue is not perceptible on opening its beak, and it swallows every thing whole which is given it. It is fed on fruit and bread cut in small pieces; it has been remarked that it has a crop.
Buffon says, that one of these birds, which came from the Cape, ate rice; but that which I have seen would not touch it; on the contrary, it ate with avidity the stones of grapes, as well as bits of apple and orange; so that it may be concluded that fruit is its natural food. It is brought from Guinea, but may be found in other parts of Africa.
THE COMMON KINGFISHER.
Alcedo Ispida, Linnæus; L’Llcyon, ou Martin Pêcheur, Buffon; Der Eisvogel, Bechstein.
The length of this bird is seven inches, of which the short tail only measures one and a quarter, the legs are very short, being only four lines in height, and the outer claw is united to the centre one, as far as the first joint. The beak, an inch and a half in length, is strong, straight and pointed. The iris is dark brown; the top of the head and the wing-coverts are of a deep green; the one with transverse and the other with oval spots of a beautiful sky blue. The back and shoulders shine with the most beautiful blue. In the female the colours are darker, and the sky blue there is in them only meadow green.
Habitation.—When wild this is a solitary bird, which remains the whole year on the edges of ponds, streams, and rivers. During the winter it may be seen watching for its prey at the holes in the ice, placed on a stone or stick, or perched on the branch of a tree.
In the house it does not walk or hop, but flies or remains perched. It is very necessary to put some turf or branches in a corner, or it must be kept in a cage with a perch; it constantly remains in the same place.