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Notes. — Some one has given this 

 schedule of travel for the cuckoo : — 



"In April come he will ; 



In May he sings all day ; 



In June he changes his tune ; 



In July he prepares to fly ; 



In August go he must." 



His song consists of two or three 

 notes which may be thus indicated : 

 "Kook-koo, Kookook-koo." 



INDIAN CUCKOO. 



Description. — Length 12 inches. 



Bill upper mandible and tip of lower 

 black, rest of lower mandible yellow. 

 Feet yellow. Iris brown. 



Plumage above fuscous brown, the 

 head being greyish. Neck and 

 breast pale grey. Abdomen white 

 crossed by conspicuous black bands, 

 rather far apart. Tail brown above 

 and crossed with large black band 

 near end ; it is irregularly barred and 

 spotted white throughout its length. 



To identify this bird, note particularly 

 its large beak, the brown color of the 

 upper surface of its wings and its band- 

 ed tail. 



Distribution. — India, South and 

 Central China. Very abundant sum- 

 mer vistant in the Yangtse Valley. It 

 usually comes early in May and leaves 

 toward the last of July or first of 

 August. 



Breeding Habits and Eggs. — This 

 bird, like the common cuckoo, depends 

 upon other birds to raise its young for 

 it after it has laid its eggs in the nest. 

 These birds have come every year for 

 the last few years with a colony of 

 Azure- winged Magpies to a group of 

 trees near the Soochow University 



