258 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
Cuckoo. This egg was taken in the Southern Province also 
in May. Inshape it isan elliptical oval, measuring *83 by °61. 
The ground colour is white, with a very faint pink tinge, 
fairly profusely spotted with reddish-brown and dull inky 
purple. This Cuckoo may also possibly lay in the nests of the 
Bush Bulbul (44. tiphia). 
CoccysTEs JACOBINUS (Blanford, Vol. III., p. 225 ; 
Legge, p. 246). 
The Pied Crested Cuckoo. 
Description.—Adult : Upper plumage and sides of the head 
black, glossed with green and purple. Wing quills brown with 
a broad white band across them ; the tail feathers have white 
tips, which on the central feathers are narrow and tend to be 
abraded ; under parts and wing lining dirty yellowish-white. 
Immature birds are brown above ; the markings on the 
wings and tail are buff; the chin and throat are gray ; 
remainder of lower parts buff. 
Bill black ; iris reddish-brown ; legs leaden blue. 
Length 12 to 13; wing 5°5 to 6; tail about 6°5; tarsus 
OF mptlislec 
Distribution.—Found fairly widely over the low-country, 
commonest near the sea. It is resident in the drier zone, but 
in the wet districts it is apparently a migrant during the 
north-east monsoon. It may be found up to about 3,000 feet. 
It occurs throughout India and Upper Burma, and ranges 
through South-west Asia to the whole of South Africa south 
of the Sahara. 
Habits, &c.—Usually found in scrub jungle, the fringes 
of open spaces in the forest zone, and in open: plains. It is 
generally met with singly or in pairs, but in the Hambantota 
District I have seen flocks of as many as twelve perched on 
low rushes in swampy ground and hunting for flies. The note 
is a distinctive high metallic whistle. The eggs are laid in the 
nests of the Southern Indian Babbler, Crateropus striatus, and 
the breeding season appears to be as extended as that of their 
host, for I have taken eggs from November to June, and 
again in August. I have several times found two of these eggs 
