THE CUCKOOS. 



19 



Nest. — None. The eggs rest upon the dry chips or dead wood 

 at the end of the hole, which is generally selected and not ex- 

 cavated by the birds themselves. Sometimes a nest-hole is 

 somewhat enlarged, but the Wryneck never seems to hammer 

 out a hole like the Woodpeckers. The nest-hole varies in 

 depth, and sometimes the eggs are deposited at a considerable 

 distance in the tree, while at other times the hole is shallow, 

 and the eggs can be seen from the entrance. 



Eggs. — From six to eight in number, sometimes as many as 

 ten ; and an instance is recorded by Mr. Norgate of a female 

 Wryneck laying forty-two eggs for two years in succession 

 (1872-3). As Mr. Seebohm remarks, in 1874 "her reproduc- 

 tive powers were apparently exhausted, as only one egg was 

 laid, and in 1875 the place was deserted ! " The eggs are pure 

 white, a little larger than those of the Lesser Spotted Wood- 

 pecker, and not so glossy as the eggs of the latter bird. They 

 measure 0-55-0*65 inch in diameter; axis, o-8-o'95. 



CUCULINE BIRDS. ORDER COCCYGES. 

 THE CUCKOOS. SUB-ORDER CUCULI. 



The Cuckoos have a scansorial or climbing, i.e. a zygodac- 

 tyle, foot, with two toes directed forwards and two backwards. 

 The hallux, or hind-toe, is served by the flexor lojigiis hallucis 

 tendon only, while the second, third, and fourth toes are con- 

 nected with the flexor perforans digiforiun. In this respect 

 Cuckoos resemble the Game-Birds. The palate is bridged or 

 " desmognathous," and there are no basipterygoid processes ; 

 there is no "after-shaft" to the feathers, and the oil-gland is 

 nude. The number of tail-feathers is only ten, except in the 

 South American genera, Giiira and Cro/ophaga.^ where they are 

 eight in number. 



By the above combination of characters the Cuckoos may 

 be recognised from all other birds, and the only other Sub- 

 order of the Coccyges consists of the Miisophagi, the Plantain- 

 Eaters or Touracous of Africa. These are closely allied to 

 the Cuckoos, but have the feet only semi-zygodactyle, the 

 fourth toe not being fully directed backwards as in the True 

 Cuckoos. In habits and mode of nesting they also differ 



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