HIEROCOCCYX. 



213 



and gra^'eful. Its food, partly at all events, consists of caterpillars. 

 According to Mr. Hodgson's notes, the female lays her eggs m the 

 nests of Trochalopterum niqrimentum and Lvo2)S nepahnsis amongst 

 other birds; but on the Nilgiris this bird is believed to have been 

 observed by both Miss Cockburn and Mr. E. H. Morgan to bui d 

 its own nest, of sticks, without lining, and to lay 3 or 4 nearly 

 white slightly speckled eggs, measuring 1-39 by 1-05. 



1109. Hierococcyx varius. The Common Eawk-Cuchoo. 



Cuculus varius, Vahl, Skriv. Nat. Selsk. iv, p. 61 (1797) ; Blyth, 



Cat. p. 70 : Layard, A. M. N. H. (2) xni, p. 452. _ 

 ruculus lathami, Grai/ in HardwlcJc&s III. Ind. Zool. n, pi. ^^^S- i- 

 Hierococcvx varius, Horsf. ^ M. Cat. ii, p. 700 ; Jerdo7i B. 1. h 

 V 'S2d :' Bli/th, Ibis, 1866, p. 361 ; Adam, S. F. i, p. 373 ; Butler, 

 S F. iii, p. 460 : Bourdillon, S. F. iv, p. 392 ; Fairbank, S. Fy, 

 p. 397 ; Vidal, S. F. vii, p. 55 ; Ball, ibid. p. 207 ; Cripps, ibid.^.'2h^\ 

 Hume, Cat. no. 205; Scully, S. F. viii, p. 255; Legye Birds Ceyl. 

 p 210; Reid, S. F. x, p. 27 ; Davison, S. F. x, p. 3o9 ; Barnes, Birds 

 Bom V 126; Davidsoji, Jour. Bom. N. H. Soc. i, p. I82;0ates 

 in Hunies N. .^- F. 2nd ed. ii, p. 383 ; Shelley, Cat. B. M. xix, 



Hierococcyx nisoides, Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 362 ; Hume, S. F. vii, 

 p. 371. 

 Kupak or Upak, Pupiya,B.. ; Chok-gcdlo,^Bn^; Bim-pi-ynl, Lepcha; 

 Kutti-pitta, Tel. ; Zakkhat, Decean ; Iro^an, Mai. This is the Bram- 

 fever bird '' of Auglo-Indiaus. 



Fig. 61.— Head of H. varius, \. 



Coloration. Upper plumage ash-grey ; quills browner, their inner 

 webs broadly barred with white, some white on outer upper tail- 

 coverts ; tail grey, tipped with rufescent and usually with 4 bars 

 (occasionally 5) bevond the coverts, the terminal bar broadest, the 

 others each with a pale or rufescent posterior border, and the 

 penultimate much nearer to the last than to the antepenultimate; 

 occasionally the penultimate band is faint or wanting; sides ot 

 head ashvjores and cheeks whitish ; chin and throat white, more 

 or less tinged with ashy ; fore-neck and breast rufous mixed with 

 pale ashy, losver breast with bars ; abdomen white anteriorly 

 tinged rufous and with transverse grey bars, posteriorly like the 

 under tail-coverts pure white ; edge of wing the same. 



The young above darlc brown with rufous cross-bars ; lower parts 



