90 Mr. D. A. Baiincrinaii on rare Birds [Ibis, 



juvenile and immatnre plumage, besides a number sent to 

 me by Dr. van Someren. 



1. The first plumage of C. soliturius lias the u[)per parts 



black (as in C. f/abonensis), but each feather of tlie 

 liead, mantle, back, rump, and wing-coverts is narrowly 

 fringed with white or buffish-white, most ])ronounced 

 on the head and uape. There is a conspicuous white 

 spot at the base of the head. The throat and chin, 

 are black, each feather narrowly margined with white; 

 the breast and belly buff, strongly barred with black. 



2. In the second stage the white margins to the feathers 



are less conspicuous; the breast and belly are white 

 strongly barred with black, the under tail-coverts are 

 wiiite barred with black. On the u[)per surface the 

 white spot at the base of the head is wider and more 

 conspicuous, the rectrices are black, and the four 

 white s})ots on the webs of the rectrices (including 

 the central pair) have made their appearance — the 

 latter an important character, as C. solitarius is the 

 only Cuckoo of this complex group which has white 

 markings on the webs of the central })air of tail- 

 feathers. The while spot at the base of the head 

 disappears entirely before the feathers of the upper 

 j)arts lose their white edges. 



3. Stage number three is very similar to the last, but the 



cliestnut feathers of the throat are beginning to make 

 their appearance, and the underparts are rather more 

 buff and are more conspicuously barred. The iiead 

 and rest of the upper parts are uniform, the white 

 margins to the feathers having entirely disappeared. 



i. The fourth stage shows the grey feathers of the thi'oat 

 appearing above the chestnut of the breast; the 

 under tail-coverts are now distinctly buff, with a few 

 indistinct bars. 



5. In the fifth stage we see the adult bird with uniform dark 

 grey upper parts, the conspicuous white markings on 

 the webs of the rectrices incduding the middle pair ; 



