304 Mr. Vicors’s and Dr. Horsriezp’s Description of the — 
feathers. The group which we have just characterized deviates 
from these characters, which may be considered typical in the 
family, by the greater strength of all these members. The bill 
is powerful, the under mandible more particularly, which is 
marked by a strong ascending gonys. The nostrils are wide and 
oval, and covered only on the upper part by a membrane. The 
tarsi and feet are particularly strong: the former are much 
compressed on the external side, exhibiting by this conforma- 
tion a nearly flattened surface in front. The wings also are 
much rounded, and comparatively shorter than in the typical 
Cuckoos. In many of these particulars the group agrees very 
nearly with the neighbouring genera Centropus, Ill., and Pheni- 
cophaus, Vieïll., which have equally been separated from the 
typical species of the family. But it may at once be distin- 
guished from Centropus by the absence of the lengthened nail 
to the hallux ; and it will be seen equally to differ from Phenico- 
phaus in its stronger, shorter and less arcuated bill; in the 
wings being longer, and the tail rounded, not graduated. The 
compressed formation of the sides of the farsi in our group is 
also wanting in Phænicophaus. The species of this genus seem 
very widely distributed over the East. "The Cuculus punctatus, 
Linn., the Coucou tacheté des Indes Orientales = Enl. 771. ) 
appears to be referable to this group. 
1. ORIENTALIS. Eud. metallicé niger, rostro flavescente. 
Cuculus orientalis. Linn. i. 168. mo. 2. 
Coucou des Indes Orientales. Pl. Enl. 274. f. 1. 
Eastern black Cuckoo. Lath. Gen. Hist. iii. p. 282. no. 26. 
. Foem. supra nitidè virescenti-fusca albo-maculata, rectricibus albo- 
fasciatis ; subtus albida, virescenti-fusco transversim undu- 
lata. 
Cuculus Mindanensis. Linn. i. 169. no. 3. 
Coucou 
Lil 
