14 JUNGLE FOLK 



three : Centropus ruftpennis, found in the Indian 

 Peninsula and Ceylon ; C. intermedius, which occurs in 

 Eastern Bengal, Assam, and Burma ; and C. maximus, 

 that inhabits Northern India and Sind. Blanford, 

 while uniting all these into one species, says, " un- 

 questionably these are all well-marked races." 



Finn had brought to him in Calcutta barred and dull- 

 coloured young birds, these possibly correspond to the 

 rufipennis and intermedius races. The matter needs 

 further investigation. 



In this connection it should be noted that the young 

 of the Indian koel {Eudynamis honor ata) — a cuckoo 

 parasitic on crows — are of three kinds. Some are all 

 black like the cock, some are barred black and white 

 like the hen, while others, though nearly altogether 

 black, display a few white bars. The fact that I have 

 seen specimens of all three kinds of koel nestling in one 

 garden at Lahore would seem to militate somewhat 

 against the theory that these correspond to different 

 races or gentes. 



I have discoursed at such length on the crow- 

 pheasant that our other respectable cuckoos will not 

 receive adequate treatment. The interesting malkohas 

 will not get an innings to-day. I trust they will accept 

 my apologies. 



I must content myself in conclusion with a few words 

 regarding the sirkeer or grey ground-cuckoo. The 

 scientific name of this species — Taccocua leschenaulti — 

 affords an excellent example of the heights to which 

 our scientific men can rise in their subhmer moments. 

 This cuckoo always appears to me hke a large babbler. 



