286 BIRD-PARASITES 



Iii South Africa this bird is a " partial migrant " in some 

 districts, a resident in others. It may also be an African 

 migrant, some going to Central or Northern Africa to 

 spend our winter months. We procured specimens in 

 Grahamstown in June and July — the heart of winter — L. E. 

 Taylor in Barberton, in June, 1905, and G. G. Davies of 

 the Cape Mounted Eifles informs us that it is practically a 

 resident in Pondoland. It is parasitic upon a number 

 of birds, the egg to a large extent varying in colour to mimic 

 that of the foster parent. Pym took a white egg from the 

 nest-hole of the Malachite Kingfisher, which lays white eggs 

 (vide Fig. 3, page 278) ; we have taken eggs from the nests of 

 Afdlis ilioracica, the Cuckoo's eggs resembling those of the 

 Warbler in colour, but differing considerably in size and 

 shape. We also took an egg from the nest of the Larger 

 Double-collared Sunbird, which was very like that of the 

 Black Sunbird, so much so that had the egg been deposited 

 in a nest of the latter bird it would have been a matter of 

 difficulty to have distinguished it from the Sunbird's eggs. 

 We append a photograph of a young C. Klaasi in the nest 

 of a Double-collared Sunbird. 



The Dieclric or Golden Cuckoo (C. cwpreus) is metallic 

 green with coppery reflections above, a white streak on 

 the centre of the crown, a narrow green band under the 

 eye ; under surface white, banded on the sides of the body 

 with green ; in the female this barring is more pronounced, 

 extending across the chest. 



It is widely distributed in Africa, being a migrant to 

 other climes, arriving in late September or early October, 

 and departing at the end of March or so. It derives its 

 trivial name from its loud plaintive cry of " Dee-dee-dee- 

 deederick." Like the other members of the family, insects 

 and their larvae — caterpillars, &c. — form its staple diet. 



