328 Lord Walden on the Cuculidre 



of the common Indian Evdynamis. Brisson, moreover, states 

 that the inhabitants of Malabar call this bird "Cuil." 



The specimen which Edwards figured in his 59th plate, and 

 on which Linnseus founded C. scolopaceus, came from Bengal, 

 and was lent to Edwards by Mr. Daudridge, of Moorfields. I 

 find some difficulty in identifying it. Dr. Cabanis (Mus. Hein. 

 iv, p. 49) refers it without hesitation to the female of the Indian 

 Koel ; and I would gladly concur if the account and figure given 

 by Edwards left no doubt on the matter. But that author's 

 description is so vague that it may be applied with more or less 

 probability to other species of Cuckoos known to inhabit Bengal. 

 The plate represents a bird of a general rufous or bay colour, 

 while in the description the body-colour is stated to be brown. 

 The figure will pass for any Cuckoo in the hepatic phase of 

 plumage ; on the other hand the bill, as figured and de- 

 scribed, most nearly agrees with that of the Koel. The reasons 

 Edwards gives for not regarding Mr. Daudridge's bird as the 

 same as C. canorus only increase our difficulty : — " This bird 

 being more like the common Cuckoo than the others here de- 

 scribed"^, it may be thought the same by slight observers of 

 nature, so it will be proper to observe in what they chiefly disa- 

 giee. First it is less by a full third part, though, by reason of 

 the superior length of the tail, this bird is an inch or more 

 longer than the common Cuckoo; that is white, with regular 

 continued transverse lines, on the under side, from the breast 

 downward ; this hath the belly and under side white mixed with 

 orange, and sprinkled with black spots : that hath bright gold- 

 coloured legs ; this hath them of a dirty yellow, rather inclining 

 to green ; but I am more certainly convinced, who have seen 

 and compared the birds together, than another can be by my 

 persuading him to be of my opinion : the tail-feathers of the 

 common [Cuckoo] are tipped with white, but in this there is no 

 appearance of it.'' If a Eudynamis, it would seem unnecessary 

 to prove that it is not the same as C. canorus. Mr. Gray (Gen. 

 B. App. p. 42) refers Edwards's 59th plate to Eudynamis ori- 

 entalis, meaning the common Indian Koel. 



C. niger, L., ofi'ers less difficulty. The type was likewise 

 * Namely, C. perm, L., C. glandarms, L., and C niyer, L. 



