SlogisLl^i 



/ rT Vol. IV. 



Parasitic Birds. 



i;y t. m. hhrwkh. 



J HAVE recently received i'roin a tiieiul 

 some Eaft ludiau eggs. Amougtliese 

 was the loug desired egg of the Eu- 

 (li/nann/H orientalin. This bird is a large 

 Cuckoo, and, like all the Cuckoo tribe of 

 the Old World, imposes its eggs upon oth- 

 er birds not of its owu kiud. It is an in- 

 teresting fact that many of the Asiatic Cuck- 

 oos not only lay tlieir eggs in other birds' 

 nests, but select, in so doing, the nest of 

 some bird of whose eggs its own are in close 

 imitation. Thus the egg I have received 

 of the Kii<iytiainiis is like a small Crow's 

 i-gg. ami this egg is always laid in the nest 

 of the common Indian Crow, Corvus spleii- 

 (h'nu. Their eggs are about one third small- 

 <M- than the Crow's egg and are more oval. 

 The eggs of the Crow always come to grief, 

 the Cuckoo's oidy being hatched. It is 

 supposed the (Juckoo punctures them when 

 she lays her own. 



Another species of Euihjnatyiys always 

 lays its eggs in the nests of the Corvua cul- 

 iiiiiialus. This species is the E. honorata., 

 the Coel of Western India. It always de- 

 sti-oys the Crow's eggs, and its own only 

 are luitched and brought up by the pool', 

 <heated Crow. Its eggs are exactly like 

 the Crow's egg in color and markings. 



The Cuculus himalayimsDi lays eggs just 

 like those of a Shrike and always drops its 

 eggs in the nests of Lanias erythronolus. 

 These are also Indian birds. 



Some of the habits of these Cuckoos are 

 very curious. Thus the (Jundus driatus 

 lays its eggs in the nests of the Laughing 

 Thrush, Trocalopteron liniatHni. The eggs 

 are so much alike that the Thrush is at first 

 (■heated and sits upon them. But as soon 



JUNE, 1879. 



^ 



No. II. 



as they ai'e hatched out the foster mothei- 

 finds out the fraud, and abandons the young 

 Cuckoos to their ftite. Then their own 

 mother thinks it time to interpose, ami 

 comes in and takes care of her children un- 

 til they can shift for themselves. A veiy 

 interesting story might be made by one on 

 the spot, of the remarkable habits of these 

 Cuckoos who lay eggs imitating those of 

 some other bird. If Mr. Hume ever pub- 

 lishes his long promised work on Indian 

 Birds, his accounts of the Indian Cuckoos 

 will be well worth reading, as he has made 

 their habits a matter of close observation. 



Nest and Eggs ok Empidonax tkailii. 

 — A nest of this species, found on the 21st 

 of June was placed in a small bush, two or 

 three feet above the ground, on the border 

 of a deep swamp. It contained three jaggs. 

 which had not been sat upon. 



The nest was much like an Indigo Bird's, 

 (composed wholly of dry grasses, neither 

 deep nor shallow, and rather strongly de- 

 posited in a fork formed by three twigs. Ir 

 was well calculated to escape observation : 

 while to perfect the obs(!urity of its owner- 

 ship, the bird, like a swamp Warbler, glided 

 noiselessly off through the bushes, close to 

 the ground. The female was exceedingly 

 shy. 



The eggs were white, ovoidal, as large 

 as those of the Phoebe, and marked sparse- 

 ly on tlie large end with clear i-ed spots, 

 not large enough to be called blotches. Be- 

 fore being blown, they received a slighr 

 rosy tint from the yolk. 



This species inhabits the swampy por- 

 tions of the country, resembling the Yel- 

 low-bellied Flycatcher in this respect. The 

 male is very active, though not vociferous. 



