198 CUCULID^ COCCYSTES 



Andropadus importunus containing two of the usual eggs (white 

 with brown and purple marbling) in addition to five large Cuckoo's 

 eggs. These all together more than filled the small cup-shaped 

 nest, the rightful occupants of which were flitting about in an excited 

 state. Close by three Cuckoos {Coccystes jacobinus, Coccystes 

 serratus, and Ciiculus clamosus) were observed, and from the different 

 sizes and shapes of the eggs I believe that all these three cuckoos 

 had utilised the one tiny nest. 



On another occasion I found an egg of this bird in the nost of 

 Campophaga harllaithi, together with a young bird belonging to the 

 host. The egg turned out to be addled ; but that it did belong to 

 this Cuckoo was evidenced by the fact that a Coccystes jacobinus 

 had been seen to visit the nest. 



470. Coccystes cafer. Levailkmt's Cuckoo. 



Cuculus cafer, Llchl. Cat. rer. nut. Harah. p. 14 (1793). 



Variete du Coucou Edolio, Levaill. Ois. cVAfr. v, p. 44, pi. 209 (1806). 



Cuculus afer. Leach, Zool. Misc. i, p. 72, pi. .SI (1814). 



Oxylophus afer, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 253 (1867). 



Oxy]o])hus caffer, Gurney in Anderssoii' s B. Damaraland, p. 225 

 (1872). 



Coccystes cafer, Sliarpe, ed Layard' s B. S. Afr. pp. 158, 810 (1875-84) ; 

 Oales, Matabcleland, p. 305 (1881) ; Aijres, Ibis, 1884, p. 224 

 [Eustenburg] ; Holiib S^- PeUeln, Orn. Siid-Afr. p. 165 (1882) 

 Norman, Ibis, 1888, p. 407 ; Shelley, Cat. B. M. xix, p. 221 (1891) 

 id. B. Afr. i, p. 123 (1896); Sharx>e, Ibis, 1897, p. 499 [Zululand] 

 Woodward Bros. Natal B. p. 114 (1899) ; Alexander, Ibis, 1900, 

 p. 108 [Zumbo] ; Marshall, ibid. p. 252 [Mashonaland]. 



" Inkanku " of Natal Zulus (Woodward). 



Description. Adult male. — Above, black with a violet and green 

 gloss on most of the feathers ; a white band on the wing caused 

 by the basal half of the primaries being white ; tail-feathers tipped 

 with white, more broadly on the outer feathers ; under surface 

 white, the throat and chest very strongly streaked with black, sides 

 of the body and thighs with a few inconspicuous black streaks ; 

 outer under wing-coverts streaked like the breast, inner ones slaty- 

 black. 



Iris dark hazel ; bill black ; legs and feet dark ashy. 



Length 14-75 ; wing 7-0 ; tail 8-75 ; culmen 1-1 ; tarsus l'2o. 



The female is like the male, but somewhat smaller ; wing 6'75. 



The young bird is brown above ; only the two outer tail-feathers 



