358 Mv. 8. S. AWeu on the Birds of Eg ijpt. 



The food of this bird consists chiefly of caterpillars and differ- 

 ent kinds of insects, as many as twenty-four of the former having 

 been found in one bird. It seems, however, occasionally to 

 indulge in eggs (another habit of its English congener), as an 

 egg-shell, apparently that of the common Fowl, was found in 

 the stomach of one on dissection. 



On the 12th of March, a pair of Cuckoos, male and female, 

 were shot at Colossane, about 140 miles above Cairo. Whilst 

 being killed, the latter deposited an egg, which is now in the 

 possession of my friend James H. Cochrane, Esq., of Lochire, 

 near Cork, together with both the parent birds. 



This specimen does not correspond with the figure of Mr. 

 Hewitson, nor with the description given by the Rev. H. B. 

 Tristram, at page 77, vol. i. of ' The Ibis.' 



The following particulars were sent by my friend above named, 

 at my request, as I omitted to take down an exact description at 

 the time: — "Length 1 inch 5 lines, breadth 11 lines; nearly 

 alike at both ends ; colour bluish white, slightly dirty, without 

 any spots. Texture chalky, without polish ; before being blown 

 slightly translucent." 



On a subsequent occasion, a hen Spotted Cuckoo, which I shot, 

 contained an egg nearly ready for exclusion, but it was unfortu- 

 nately broken when killing the bird. 



On the 22nd of April, whilst searching for nests in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Tifte, in the Delta, we found one of the Hooded 

 Crow [Corvus comix) in a sycamore or wild-fig tree, which con- 

 tained two young Crows, and a young Cuculus glandarius, just 

 fledged and able to fly a little. He was taken to the Nile boat, 

 where he soon became quite contented, eating greedily all the 

 scraps of meat, &c., offered to him, and, like Oliver, " asking 

 for more.'' This bird arrived safely in England, and was alive 

 and well when I last heard from his owner, who added that his 

 plumage, which was very dark when taken, had become much 

 lighter. 



The Spotted Cuckoo has occurred in Malta, but I believe only 

 accidentally j for it does not appear to be migratory, as a general 

 rule. 



