400 M. Sundevall on the Birds of Calcutta. 



during summer, when such larvae abound, the hairs from which 

 become attached to the internal skin of the stomach. I learnt 

 nothing as to its mode of breeding. The Bengalese name is 

 Sikkrie, which is also applied to Falco tinnunculus and melanop- 

 terus, so that here people often confound the Hawks and Cuckoos. 

 I saw and heard this species from February to May, but pro- 

 cured no female. The bird is tolerably shy like our Cuckoo. 



47. Cuculus orientalis, L. et auct. (= <$) ; Horsf. .lav. L. Tr. xiii. 

 — Coucou a gros bee, Le Vaill. Afr. 214. C. scolopaceus, L. et 

 auct. (= $). Eudynamis orientalis, Vig. et Horsf. Nov. Holt. L. 

 Tr. xv. (C. punctatus, auct., veris <$ primo anno.) 



Nares oblongas immarginatre ; tarsi breves, cauda fortius rotun- 

 data. — <$ niger. $ fusca, albo varia, fasciis caudas numerosis irregu- 

 laribus. 



Iris sanguinea. Lingua sub-cartilaginea, mediocris, sensim an- 

 gustata, apice rotundato, integerrimo, striola superne impresso ut 

 rudimentura fissurse. Rostrum et pedes robustiores, alse paullo bre- 

 viores quam in Cuculis genuinis. Cutis firma. Plumas corporis 

 forma vulgari, nee, ut in Columbis et Cuculis genuinis, scapo tumido. 



$ adultus (Febr., Martio) totus pure niger, virescenti nitens, im- 

 maculatus. Rostrum pallidum, basi fuscescens. 14^-poll. Ala 181 

 mill., cauda 180, tarsus 32, digitus medius 28, cum ungue.38. 



<$ jun. (d. 1 Maii) niger, minus nitens, subtus remigibusque fuli- 

 ginosus, opacus ; remiges tamen ultima? primarise et ultimas cubitales 

 renovatse, nigrse, nitidse. Alarum tectrices inferiores et crissum albo 

 undata. Rostrum pallidum flavescens. $ (d. 3 Martii ovo subper- 

 fecto in oviductu). Supra fusca, aeneo-nitens, crebre albomaculata : 

 maculis capitis subtestaceis, longitudinalibus, una in apice singula; 

 plumas ; dorsi et tectricum parvis, rotundis, 2-3 cujusque pluma?. 

 Subtus alba fusco varia : gula colloque maculis sub-longitudinalibus, 

 et lateribus plumarum fuscis. Pectus, ad pedes usque, fasciis tenui- 

 bus, angulatis. Hypochondria et crissum fasciis sub-regularibus. 

 Remiges fuscse fasciis interrupts fulvo-albidis. Rectrices striis circa 

 18 oblique transversis et flexuosis, albidis. Long. 14 J poll. Ala 180 

 millim., tarsus 31 ; digitus medius 27, cum ungue 37, cauda 180. 



This also is a noisy bird which occurs frequently near Calcutta. 

 The males were heard all the time that I remained there, crying 

 almost constantly torrui ! torrui ! and both sexes often uttered a 

 note like that of the Kestrel or Woodpecker, tjee ! tjee ! tjee ! tjee ! 

 They were not seen to alight on the ground, but remained in 

 bushes or small detached trees, and seemed to enjoy the sun- 

 shine. They were not shy like the true Cuckoos. The stomach, 

 which was very thin with a soft muscular coating, was always 

 found full of berries ; it was never seen to contain insects (Febr. — 

 Apr.). They lay their eggs in March, for in the above-described 

 female was found one which was nearly full-grown, but without 



