70 



THE OOLOGIST 



The Gilded Cuckoo of Africa, 



(Chalcites auratus.) 



i 



j^ljrHIS beautiful bird, closely resem- 

 l i 1 bliiig the European Cuckoo in form 

 ^-\ and habits, is found in Caffraria, in 

 Africa. The female deposits its eggs in 

 the nests of other species, in which respect 

 it resembles the European Cuckoo and the 

 American Cow Bird ; but there is a pe- 

 culiarity connected with the oviposition of 

 this species which has engrossed the atten- 

 tion of naturalists — that of the female's sup- 

 posed habit of conveying the egg in her 

 mouth or throat to the nest in which it is to 

 be deposited. Le Vaillant, a naturalist of 

 considerable study, has made inquiry con- 

 cerning this singular habit, and after con- 

 siderable observation, found it to be true. 

 His own narrative may prove interesting : 

 "Although this bird be so common if not 

 in the immediate environs, yet about one 

 hundred leagues from Cape Town, it was 

 scarcely known in J2urope before my voy- 

 ages, and in France there was only one mu- 

 tilated and badly preserved specimen of it 

 to be seen in the Royal Museum at Paris. 

 I myself brought over one hundred and fif- 

 ty males and females as well as young birds, 

 which are now exhibited in the chief cabi- 

 nets of Europe. To this beautiful species 

 I am indebted for my chief knowledge of the 

 Cuckoo family. From the facility I had 

 of leisurely and successfully observing its 

 manners, I always entertained the hope that 

 I should one day surprise a female Didric 

 in the act of depositing its egg in the nest 

 of another bird, but having been disappoint- 

 ed in this respect, I began to imagine that 

 my ignorance on this point would never be 

 removed, when one day having killed a fe- 

 male of this species, and Avishiug to intro- 

 duce a plug of hemp into her throat accord- 

 ing to my custom after bringing down a 

 bird, in order to prevent the blood from 

 staining its plumage, I was not a little sur- 

 prised, on opening its bill for this purpose, 

 to find in its throat an entire egg, which I 

 knew immediately from its form, size, and 



beautiful whiteness, to belong to the Didric. 



Delighted at length, after so many useless 

 efforts, at having obtained a confirmation 

 of my suspicions, I loudly called my faith- 

 ful Klaas, who was only a few paces dis- 

 tant from me, to whom T imparted my dis- 

 covery with much pleasure, as he had used 

 his best exertions to second my views. 

 Klaas, on seeing the egg in the bird's gul- 

 let, told me that after killing female Cuck- 

 oos, he had frequently observed a newly 

 broken egg lying upon the ground near 

 wliere they had fallen, which he supposed 

 they had dropped in their fall, being at that 

 moment ready to lay. I recollect very well 

 that when tliis good Hottentot brought me 

 the fruits of his sports, he frequently remark- 

 ed, as he pointed to the Cuckoo, ' This one 

 laid her egg as she fell from the tree.' Al- 

 though I was convinced from this ('ircum- 

 stance that the female Cuckoo deposits her 

 egg in the nests of other birds by conveying 

 it in her beak, I was desirous to collect 

 what facts I could on the subject ; Klaas 

 and 1, therefore, began to shoot as many 

 Cuckoos as we could meet with, which ac- 

 counts for the great number of tliis species 

 we procured. However, among all the 

 specimens there occurred only one instance 

 similar to that 1 have just mentioned, name- 

 ly, that of a second fenude, which was 

 trjuispoi'ting her egg in her mouth, like the 

 former. " 



Empidonax flaviventris is rather abund- 

 ant in the Adirondack region of New York. 

 Its retired habits, however, would lead one 

 to suppose it very uncommon. The swampy 

 places, thickly studded with a species of wil- 

 low and scrubby trees are its favorite re- 

 sorts. Wliile maay other species of bird 

 came readily to the call, the Yellow-bellied 

 Flycatcher would invariably remain silent- 

 ly perched ujjon a low limb, not even essay- 

 ing to utter a sound. It is easily approach- 

 ed and seems to care little for the hunter. 

 It is, however, an active bird. 



