Mr. S. S. Allen on the Birds of Egypt. 357 



XL. — I^otes on the Birds of Egypt. By S. Stafford Allen. 



1. The Spotted Cuckoo {Cucuius glandarius). 



During a recent visit to Egypt, extending from the middle of 

 December 1861 to the end of May 1863, I had frequent oppor- 

 tunities of observing this bird, the " Cucuius glandarius " of 

 Latham, Yarrell, and Gould ; and having seen in ' The Ibis ' that 

 a difference of opinion exists amongst ornithologists as to its 

 nidification, I think a few facts which have come under my 

 notice may be interesting. 



The first specimen met with was shot near Ghizeh, January 1st, 

 1862, and proved to be an adult female which had just finished 

 moulting. After this they were seen at intervals all the way 

 up the Nile (to Assouan), and subsequently in the Delta, about 

 twelve specimens in all being obtained, five of which were shot 

 by myself. 



These birds generally occurred in pairs, frequenting the groves 

 of Gum Acacia trees [Acacia nilotica), the " Sout" of the Arabs, 

 which line the banks of the Nil', both in Upper and Lower 

 Egypt, where their presence was usually made apparent by the 

 chattering, which I believe proceeds from the female. I was 

 informed that the male has a note similar to that of the male of 

 C. canorus', but this I never heard. When disturbed, they flew 

 with a steady, dipping flight, the long tail being very conspi- 

 cuous, alighting a little further on ; and if pursued, would slip 

 quietly out of the opposite side of the tree to a fresh shelter. 

 There is no perceptible difference between the sexes, either in 

 plumage or in size ; but the young bird just fledged is much 

 darker in colour than the adult, becoming lighter with age. 



One specimen only, amongst those we shot, had the pluiftage 

 (which in other respects appeared fully developed) of the same 

 colour as the young bird. This was killed about the middle of 

 March, and could therefore hardly have been a bird of the year. 



The irides of the Spotted Cuckoo are dark brown ; tlie beak 

 purplish horn-colour, lighter underneath; the legs and feet horny, 

 with a bluish tinge. The toes are placed as in the Wood- 

 peckers, two forwards and two backwards, and the claws are 

 considerably curved. 



VOL. IV. 2 a 



