THE CUCKOOS. 



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

 at the end of tlie 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 en;g; 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 o-55-o'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 longus halhicis 

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

 nected \vith the flexor perforans digitorum. 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, Guira and Croiophaga, 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 Musophagi, 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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