NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



red. Upper portion of bill dark horn ; lower, dark at the tip 

 and lighter at the base. Legs black with a bluish shade. 



Lengthy 7.5 ; tail, 3.20 ; wing, 4.40. 



The female differs from the male. Its back is more coppery 

 in colour. There is no white mark on the crown, or, if present, 

 it is indistinct. The under parts are more profusely barred, 

 and the colour is of a copper shade. 



Distribution. — f'rom Cape Province, north through Africa 

 to Abyssinia and the Gambia River. 



Habits. — The didric or golden cuckoos migrate from the 

 north into South Africa during the summer season, and leave 

 again in the autumn. They may be met with in the bush-veld, 

 forests, wooded kloofs, and plantations. The male may be 

 heard at all times of the day calling to attract the female. 

 Like other species of cuckoos, the didric deposits its eggs 

 in the nests of a number of species of other birds. The egg is 

 usually laid on the ground, and the cuckoo takes it in her mouth 

 and carries it to the nest of her host. I have grounds for 

 believing that in many instances an egg of the host is taken from 

 the nest and eaten by the cuckoo. The eggs vary from white, 

 spotted, or pale unspotted blue. A female cuckoo produces 

 several eggs, but not more than one is deposited in any individual 

 nest. The eggs are usually laid in December. 



Emerald Cuckoo {Chrysococcyx srnayagdineus). (Vol. II., 

 P- 93-) 

 Description. — Male : glittering emerald-green above and 

 on the throat and chest, the feathers having the appearance of 

 scales. Abdomen and thighs delicate canary-yellow. Under 

 tail coverts white, barred with emerald green. Iris dark brown. 

 Bill dark at the base ; greenish at the tip. Legs slaty. 



Length.^ 8.12 ; tail, 3.80 ; wing, 4.4. 



Female dark ashy on the head. Back emerald-green barred 

 with rufous. Lower parts white, narrowly barred with green ; 

 the distance between the bars is greatest towards the tail. 



Distribution. — Cape and north to Abyssinia and Gambia. 



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