to ' The Birds of India: 13 



I have recently heard it on the Khasia Hills, where, how- 

 ever, it is far from common. 



201. CUCULUS POLIOCEPHALUS. 



C intennedius, Vahl, C. lineatus, Lesson, and C. tenuirostris, 

 Temm.^, are considered to be synonyms of this species. Bill 

 blackisli above, horny beneath; gape deep yellow; orbits yellow; 

 irides brownish ; feet dark yellow. The extent of wing of one 

 was 16^ inches. I saw this Cuckoo throughout the Himalayas 

 up to 9000 feet of elevation, and found it recently to be not rare 

 on the Khasia hills. Captain Bulger, in a brochure on the birds 

 of Sikkim, attempts to syllabize the peculiar call of this Cuckoo. 



203. CucuLus MicROPTERUS and 



204. C. STRiATUs = mfc/i?Vanw5, Swinhoe, Ann. & Mag. Nat. 

 Hist. 1870, vi. p. 153. 



I am rather doubtful of the distinctness of these two alleged 

 races of Cuckoo. Certainly specimens killed in the plains are a 

 little smaller than the average of hill-birds. Blyth states that 

 all Hodgson^s specimens appear to belong to the larger race, 

 which, if its distinction from true microptenis be allowed, and 

 striatus, Drapiez, be correctly applied to C. himalaijanus, must 

 stand as affinis, A. Hay. True microptenis, however, appears 

 also to occur in Java, and may be Drapiez's bird. 



The dimensions of one freshly killed on the plains were as 

 follows: — Length 12]^ inches, wing 7^, extent 21 j. A large 

 hill- example measured 13| inches, wing 8|, extent 23:j. Another 

 had the wing 8g, extent 22 ; but intermediate examples are 

 common. 



Mr. Blyth states that it was evidently the larger race that 

 was observed by Herr Radde in Eastern Siberia. At Mussooree 

 this Cuckoo often lays her eggs in the nest of Truchalopteron 

 lineatum. 



205. HiEROCOCCYX VARIUS. 



It is doubtful whether Lesson's name tenuirostris applies to this 

 bird or not (see antea, under 201). It is replaced in the Malayan 



* This name has been applied by Blyth and Swinhoe to C. striatus; but 

 a specimen iu Lord Walden's collection thus named appears to be the 

 present species. 



