CUCULID^ 



201 



in the nests of various birds ; Mr. Atmore found that the Geelgat 

 {Pycnonotics capensis) was usually the host. A young fledged 

 cuckoo of this species was brought to the South African Museum 

 on January 21, which had been seen on one occasion in a Geelgat's 

 nest, and which had been subsequently found on the ground below 

 the nest. Colonel Bowker took the eggs and young from the nests 

 of Tarsiger sllens. Finally, Mr. Ivy saw one of these birds leave 

 the nest of a Mouse bird {Colius erythromclon). The nest contained 

 three eggs of the host (white with a few pinky scratches), together 

 with one egg of the Cuckoo. Eggs in the South African Museum 

 obtained by Layard at Nelspoort measure 1-05 x 0-85. 



Subfamily II. CENTKOPODIN^. 



Wings short and rounded fitting to the sides of the body ; 

 distance between the tips of the primaries and secondaries less than 

 the length of the tarsus or culmen ; tarsus bare of feathers and 

 strong ; tail generally long, graduated and broad. 



Fig. 65. — Wing of Ccntropus burchclli. 



Anatomically this subfamily differs from the Cuculiuce in 

 possessing a femoro-caudal muscle and in the division of the 

 pectoral tract of feathers on either side into two branches which 

 terminate separately. 



All the birds of this subfamily are non-para-sitic, building their 

 own nests and hatching their own eggs. 



