382 CUCULIDiE. 



Taccocua infuscata, Blyth, J. A. S. Bene/, xiv. p. 200 (1845) ; id. Cat. 



B. Mus. As. Soc. p. 77 (1849) ; Hors'f. ^ Moore, Cat. B.Mm. E. I. 



Co. ii. p. 687 (1856-58) ; Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 353 (1862) ; Scidly, 



Str. F. viii. p. 258 (1879). 

 Taccocua sirkee, Blyth, J. A. 8. Benq. p. 201 (1845) ; id. Cat. B. 



Mus. As. Soc. p. 77 (1849) ; Ilorsf. Sf Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E. I. Co. 



ii. p. 687 (1856-58) ; Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 353 (1862) ; id. Ibis, 1872, 



p. 10; Hume, Nests 8,- Eggs Ind. B. p. 145 (1873) ; Adam, Str. F. 



i. p. 374 (1873) ; Ball, op. cit. ii. p. 395 (1874) ; Reid, op. cit. x. 



p. 28 (1881) ; Davison, t. c. p. 300 ; Gates, ed. Humes Nests ^ 



Ef/gs Ind. B. ii. p. 408 (1890). 

 Taccocua affinis, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng. xv. p. 19 (1846) ; id. Cat. B, 



Mtis. As. Soc. p. 77 (1849) ; Jerd. B. Lid. i. p. 354 (1862) ; Hume, 



Nests ^ Eggs Lid. B. p. 146 (1873) ; Ball, Str. F. ii. p. 394 



(1874), iii. p. 290 (1875); Fairbank, op. cit. iv. p. 255 (1876); 



Ball, op. cit. vii. p. 208 (1878). 

 Zauclostomus ailinis, Gray, Gen. B. iii. App. p. 23 (1849) ; id. 



Hand-l. B. ii. p. 207, uo. 8878 (1870). 

 Zauclostomus infuscatus, Grai/, Gen. B. iii. App. p. 23 (1849) ; id. 



Hand-l. B. ii. p. 207, no. 8876 (1870). 

 Taccocua sirki infuscata, Bp. Consp. Vol. Zygod. p. 5 (1854). 

 Taccocua sirki cuculoides, Bj^. I. c. 

 Acentetus infuscatus, Cab. Sf Heine, Miis. Hein. iv. p. 102, note 1 



(1864). 

 Acentetus afEnis, Cab. Sf Heine, t. c. p. 103, note 2. 

 Acentetus sirki, iid. ibid, note 3. 

 Acentetus lescbeiiaulti, iid. ibid, note 4. 



Phajnicopliaes sirkee, Schl. Mus. Bays-Bas, Cuculi, p. 56 (1864). 

 Zauclostomus leschenaulti, Gray, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 207, no. 8879 



(1870). 



Adult. Above pale brown, glossed with olive on the quills and 

 two centre tail-feathers ; remainder of the tail blackish, with broad 

 white ends to the feathers ; the shafts of the feathers of the head, 

 neck, mantle, and front of the chest strong, glossy, and blackish, 

 forming bristles, especially on the front of the head ; sides of the 

 head paler, with a partial white eyebrow, with strong black bristles 

 forming eyelashes ; under surface of body rufous, paler on the 

 throat and almost white on the chin and shaded on the sides of the 

 lower throat with the colour of the upper parts ; lower abdomen 

 and under tail-coverts inclining to dusky brown ; under wing-coverts 

 rufous-buff; under surface of the quills silvery brown, with their 

 inuer webs narrowly washed with rufous: "bill red, yellowish at 

 tip ; gape black, and a dark patch on the sides of the upper man- 

 dible ; iris brown; legs greenish slate-colour" (Davison). Total 

 length 17 inches, culmen 1-2, wing 6*1, tail 9-6, tarsus 1-7. 



Nestling. Differs from the adult in having rather broad black 

 shaft-stripes to the feathers of the head, throat, and chest, while 

 most of the feathers of the mantle, back, and tail have rufous edges. 



After selecting six specimens in good plumage, representing all the 

 races recognized by ornithologists, I find that their measurements 

 entirely fail to yield a specific character. The palest specimen from 

 the Punjab is of a pale ochreous-brown colour, with the two centre 

 tail-feathers slightly darker and glossed with olive ; one from Simla 



