Cuculus Persa, LINNÆUS; Le Tourako, BUFFON; Der Turako,
BECHSTEIN.
This Bird, which is about the size of a magpie, has been placed among
the cuckoos by Linnæus, and those who have copied him, only because its
cry is _couc, couc_; for in no other respect does it belong to this
genus. Its beak is short and thick, and resembles that of the pigeon in
shape; the upper is bent over the lower, and of a reddish brown; the
nostrils are covered with feathers; the iris is nut-brown; the eyelids
are edged with small red warts; the opening of the throat is wide,
extending to the back of the ears; the nails of an ash grey; the head,
throat, neck, top of the back, with the upper wing-coverts, the breast,
upper part of the belly and sides, are covered with soft silky feathers,
of a beautiful deep green; the feathers on the top of the head gradually
lengthen into a large triangular tuft, which the bird raises at will,
and the tip of which is red. The green in the tuft is sometimes mixed
with white.
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.