CUCULIDJ^. 227 



bagging some after an immense deal of trouble and 

 smart shooting. They were invariably perched on lofty 

 trees, where they uttered loud cries, which were my only 

 guide to their whereabouts ; and before I got near they 

 would leave their perches and dart with lightning speed 

 through the neighbouring thickets. They were wild 

 shots these! On a subsequent occasion I observed a 

 flock of fully a dozen of these Cuckoos, creating a 

 desperate hubbub, on the 21st of December, at Ob- 

 jimbinque. I have also obtained specimens of this 

 Cuckoo from Lake Ngami. 



274. Cuculus canorus, Liun. European Cuckoo. 



Cuculus canorus, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 240. 



„ „ Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 407. 



„ „ Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 520. 



„ „ Gurney, in Ibis, 1871, p. 103. 



„ „ Sharpe's Cat. No. 103. 



This species is occasionally observed in Damara Land, 

 but from its great general resemblance to the following 

 species(C.^«*^«m)maybeeasily confounded with that bird*. 



The iris is yellow ; the bill bluish black, except at the 

 base, where it is yellowish brown ; the legs and toes are 

 bright yellow. 



[Mr. R. B. Sharpe possesses two specimens of the true 

 Cuculus canorus^ which were both obtained by Mr. Andersson 

 at Objimhinque, Damara Land. One of these is a male bird 

 which lias nearly attained the adult dress^ but shows some 

 remains of immature plumage on the wing-coverts and on the 

 crown of head. This specimen was killed on the 6tli of February, 

 1865 ; the other example is a fully adult female obtained on the 

 1st of April, 1864.— Ed.] 



* See note under Cucidns (jularis at page 228. 



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