290 GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO. 



this Cuckoo deposits its eggs. It is not known to Ijreed in any 

 other part of Europe, though it visits Greece and Southern Russia ; 

 in Asia Minor, Palestine, and Northern Persia, however, it occurs in 

 summer. It breeds throughout the wooded districts of Northern 

 Africa, Egypt, Nubia, and Somali-land : while it wanders to the 

 Canaries on its way to South Africa, where it winters. 



In Spain, as already mentioned, it generally selects the Magpie as 

 foster-parent, and I have found as many as four of its eggs with six of 

 those of that bird, in the same nest, while occasionally a Raven's or 

 Blue-winged Magpie's is made use of. Mr. E. Lort Phillips, however, 

 found eight eggs of this parasitical bird in the same nest w-ith four 

 of Con'ifs affinis, in Somali-land ; in Egypt the Hooded Crow's nest 

 is chosen, and in Algeria the Moorish Magpie's. The Cuckoo takes 

 the egg in her l)ill, and, after placing it in the nest, often ejects an 

 egg of the foster-parent to make room for her own. The egg is pale 

 green, streaked and spotted with russet and dull lilac, sometimes 

 closely resembling that of the Magpie, but more elliptical as well as 

 of a much firmer and smoother texture : measurements i'2 by "96 in. 

 A female shot on April 6th had a well-formed egg in her oviduct, but 

 early May is the usual time for laying. The food consists of insects. 

 The note of the male is a harsh kark-kark ; that of the female hurroo- 

 burroo. Col. Irby gives August 7th as the latest date for Spain. 



The adults of both sexes have the crown grey with a long-pointed 

 crest ; upper parts greyish-brown with white tips to most of the 

 feathers ; tail-feathers, except the central ones, largely tipped with 

 white : neck buffish-white ; under parts dull white. Length 15-5 in. : 

 wing 8 in. The young bird has a nearly black head and nape, buft^ 

 neck and breast, and chestnut on the upper parts of the primaries. 



An example of the American Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Coccyzus 

 atnericaiuis, was shot in co. Cork in the autumn of 1825 ; another 

 near Dublin in 1832 ; a third in Pembrokeshire, also in the 

 autumn of 1832; a fourth near Aberystwith in October 1870: a 

 fifth at Lundy Island in October 1874 ; while a sixth was picked up 

 dead near Bridport on October 5th 1895. ^^ the Continent, one 

 was obtained in Belgium in October 1874, and another near Turin 

 in 1883. Admitting that these occurred at the time of migration, 

 I cannot believe that they crossed the Atlantic without human 

 assistance. The same remark applies to the American Black-billed 

 Cuckoo, C. erythropthalmits, a specimen of which was shot near 

 Belfast about September 25th 1871 ; while in Italy one was killed 

 near Lucca in 1858. 



