200 CUCULID^ COCCYSTES 



Oxylophus edolius, Laijard, B. S. Afr. p. 252 (1867). 



Coccystes serratus, Sharjye, P. Z. 8. 1873, p. 599 ; Sharpe, ed. 



Laijard's B. 8. Afr. pp. 160, 810 (1875-84) ; Layard, P. Z. 8. 1873, 



p. 599 ; Ayres, Ibis, 1878, p. 408, 1885, p. 344 [Potchefstroom] ; 



Norman, Ibis, 1888, p. 409 ; SJtcUcy, Cat. B. M. xix, p. 223 (1891) ; 



8helley, B. Afr. i, p. 123 (1896) ; Woodward Bros. Natal B. p. 114 



(1899) ; Ivy, Ibis, 1901, p. 24 [Albany]. 

 " Nieuwjaarsvogel '' of Dutch. 



Descri]ition. Adult male. — Above and below throughout, black 

 glossed with green, a white band on the wing formed by the white 

 basal halves of the primary quills. 



Iris, bill, and legs black. 



The female is like the male in plumage and size. 



Distribution. — This Cuckoo has hitherto been found only in 

 Cape Colony and Natal, extending northwards as far as Potchef- 

 stroom ; it occurs within our limits only during the summer 

 months between October and March, and its winter quarters are 

 at present unknown. A closely allied species {C. alhonotatus) has 

 been described from German east Africa. 



The following are recorded localities : Cape Colony — Cape divi- 

 sion, October, November, December (S. A. Mus. and Victorin)^ 

 Stellenbosch, December (S. A. Mus.), Oudtshoorn, December 

 (Victorin), Nelspoort (Layard), Albany, December, February (Ivy 

 and Bt. Mus.), near Aliwal North, December (Whitehead), Eland's 

 Post (Bt. Mus.), King Williams Town (Bt. Mus.), Peddie (S. A. 

 Mus.) Port St. John's, November (S. A. Mus.) ; Natal— Durban 

 and Weenen (Bt. Mus.) ; Transvaal — Potchefstroom, November to 

 February (Ayres). 



Habits. — The Black-crested Cuckoo is always a migratory bird 

 in South Africa, arriving almost invariably in October and leaving 

 in March; it is found usually in pairs about the trees, along rivers, 

 or in thick bush, where it searches for its insect food, which consists 

 of beetles, maggots, flies and termites ; it is specially fond of hairy 

 caterpillars, and the gizzard of a specimen was found by Ayres to 

 be entirely lined with a felt of hairs, which was quite free from the 

 true gizzard wall and almost certainly consisted of caterpillar's hair. 



An example shot in Cape Town in November, 1884, was found 

 by Mr. Trimen to have the stomach crammed with the larvae of a 

 large Bombycine moth, Metanestria pithyocampa ; these, in addition 

 to being exceedingly hairy, have dorsal clusters of sharp and 

 acicular spines, which must be rather difficult of digestion. The 

 call, a loud one, is often heard during the night. The eggs are laid 



