turacou

See turakoo. turacoverdin (tū"ra-kō-vėrʼdin), n. [ turakoo (tö'ra-kö), n. [Also turako, turaco, tourakoo, touracou, touraco, etc. (NL. Turacus ); 6532 an African name.] A bird of the family Muso phagidæ and any of the genera Turacus (or Cory thaix), Schizorhis, etc.; a kind of plantain-eater: sometimes extended to all the birds of this family. The species are numerous, all African, of large size and striking appearance. In the members of the genus Turacus the plumage is mostly bright-green and rich-red, Giant Turakoo ( Corythæola cristata). and there is an elegant helmet-like crest which the birds instantly erect when excited or alarmed. They live in the woods in small companies, and their voice is very loud and harsh. One of the best-known is T. corythaix, the white crested turakoo of South Africa. The Senegal turakoo is T. persa. Another is Schizorhis african us of West Africa. The gray turakoo is a plainer species, S. concolor, of South Africa. The giant turakoo, Corythæola cristata (formerly Turacus giganteus, T. cristatus, Musophaga cristata, etc.. the blue cura ow of Latham, 1823), is a plantain-eater very near the species of Musophaga proper, with oval exposed nostrils, and a helmet crest; the plumage is chiefly verditer-blue, without crimson; the tail has a broad black subterminal bar; the bill is yellow and scarlet; the eyes are red; the total length is 28 inches. This turakoo inhabits West and Central Africa. Turanian (tū-rā'ni-an), a. and n. [ sometimes applied to the languages in general outside of the Indo-European and Semitic families, and so including various discordant and independent families, but sometimes used especially or restrictedly of the Ural-Altaic or Scythian family.