CUCULIDAE 35 5 



The genus Coccystcs, of South Europe, Africa, and Tropical 

 Asia, includes the Great Spotted Cuckoo {C. glandarius), which 

 has twice occurred in Britain, a crested greyish-brown bird, with 

 a yellowish throat, white under parts and markings above. In 

 Southern Spain and Northern Africa it deposits from two to four 

 eggs in the nests of the Magpies, Pica rustica, P. mauritanica, 

 and Cyanopica cooki, or of the Grey Crow, Corvus comix ; these 

 eggs, like those of the foster parents, being pale green with brown 

 and lilac markings. The note of the male is " kee-ou, kee-ou " or 

 " kark-kark," of the female " burroo-burroo." C. coromandus, 

 chiefly greenish- and bluish -black above with rufous wings and 

 white nuchal collar, and buff below with grey abdomen, ranges 

 from India and Ceylon to China and Celebes, laying roundish, 

 plain green-blue eggs in nests of Cratcroigus and other birds, and 

 having a true Cuckoo's note. C. serratus of South Africa, which 

 is greenish-black with a white alar band, is somewhat terrestrial, 

 and lays a white egg in nests of Pycnonotus and Sigclns. 



Surnicidus lugubris, extending from India to China and the 

 Malay Islands, is black, with green and purple reflexions and a 

 few scattered white markings. The tail is sometimes forked. 

 Cacomantis passerimis, of India, Java, and Sumatra, is grey, 

 having an olive gloss above, blue-black rectrices with white bars, 

 and white abdomen. It frequents jungles, utters a plaintive 

 series of whistles, continuing for hours, and lays bluish eggs 

 with purplish markings in various birds' nests. C. virescens of 

 Celebes and Bouru is said by Dr. Meyer to build its own nest. 

 Chrysococcyx smaragdineus, of Tropical and Southern Africa, is 

 a lovely emerald-green bird, with yellow breast and white-barred 

 lateral rectrices. The female has a partially rufous head and mantle, 

 coppery, bronze, and green upper parts, and white lower surface 

 banded with green. The males whistle loudly to their mates for 

 long periods, perched on tall trees, or hawk for insects in the air. 

 C. ctq^reus, of the same countries, is in both sexes coppery-green 

 varied with white above, and white with bronzy bars below ; it is 

 called " Di-dric " from its cry, and lays white eggs in Sun-birds' and 

 Finches' nests. The similarly coloured Chalcococcyx lucidiis of 

 Australia, New Zealand, and the Chatham Islands has a reiterated 

 plaintive note, with the effect of ventriloquism, and foists its green- 

 ish-white eggs with brown spots upon Acanthiza and Gerygone. 



Of Eiidynamis, ranging from India and Ceylon to Australia 



