HIEEOCOCCYX. 



211 



uncommon in the forests of the Eastern Central Provinces and 

 Bengal, and extending through the hill countries south of Assam 

 and the Burmese territories to Malacca, Java, Borneo, and the 

 Moluccas. 



Habits, 4c. Scarcely anything appears known about the migra- 

 tion and breeding of this Cuckoo. It certainly breeds in the 

 Himalayas and Assam hills and probably in other hill-ranges, 

 perhaps in the plains also. Its call is a fine melodious whistle, 

 represented by the names Boulcotalco and Kyphulpaklca. In flight, 

 habits, and food it resembles C. canorus. 



Genus HIEROCOCCYX, S. Muller, 1842. 



Structurally this genus only differs from Cuculns in having 

 rather shorter wings, with the primaries extending from one-fifth 

 to one-third the length of the closed wing beyond the ends of the 

 secondaries ; sometimes the third primary is longest, sometimes the 

 fourth. The coloration is remarkable, even amongst Cuckoos, foi' 

 its close imitation of Hawks and Falcons ; not only is the adult garb 

 Accipitrine in character, but the plumage of the young resembles 

 that of several immature birds of prey. The resemblance in 

 plumase and flight to Hawks is quite unexplained, though, as it is 

 suflicient to cause great alarm to small birds in general, it is- 

 probably connected with breeding-habits. 



In all species of Hierococcyx the tail is broad with distinct dark 

 cross-bars ; the plumage above is uniform or nearly so in adults, 

 mixed wirh rufous bars in the young ; below it is spotted in the 

 young, but generally becomes nearly uniform or transversely 

 banded in the adult stage. Sexes alike. 



This genus ranges throughout Eastern Asia from Siberia to India 

 and the Malay Peninsula ; it is also found in all the Malay islands. 

 Four species inhabit India or Burma. 



Key to the Species. 



a. No distinct dark cheek-band from the eye. 

 a'. Abdomen transversely banded in adults. 



a". Back in adults brown : wing over 8-5 . . H. sjjarvenoides, p. 211. 



b". Back in adults ash-grey : wing 7 to 8. . S. varms, p. 213. 

 b'. Abdomen never banded ; back in adults 



blackish grey : wing 6-7 to 7-4 -BT. nisicolor, p. 214. 



b. A distinct dark cheek-stripe H. nanus, p. 215. 



1108. Hierococcyx sparverioides. The Large Haivh-Cmlcoo. 

 Cuculus sparverioides, Vigors, P. Z. S. 1831, p. 173 ; Blyth, J. A S. B. 

 xi,p.898; xii,p.240; ^^C^ p^ ^..., ,, /l^ 



'ElmersrFT'ni,' -p.'so] ix,'p\ 248^ xi, p. 72 ; id. Cat. no.' 207 

 Armstrony, S. F. iv, p. 311 ; Oodw.-Aust. J. A. S. B. xlv, pt. 2, p. 70 



p 2 



