M'iSOCAMU.S. 15 



close-grained, smooth and lustrous. 'J'hey are white, and typically have a band around the 

 larger end consisting of wood or faint purplish-bro\vn irregular-shaped spots and small blotches, 

 with intermingled similar underlying; markings of dull slaty oi violet-grey, with a few scattered 

 spots of the same colours distributed over the remainder of the shell. An egg of the Brush 

 Cuckoo taken by me at Ourimbah on the 23rd Noxember, nyui, from a nest of Rhipidura rufifnnis, 

 containing an egg also of the latter species, and both sliglitly incubated, measures — o-h-j x 0-58 

 inches. Two eggs of the Brush Cuck'oo, taken by Air. A. A. Johnston at Chatswood, on the 

 24th November, 1^06, from a nest of Rliipidiifa allnuapa, and also containing a single egg of the 

 latter species, measures respectively — (A) 0-74 x i)-5(. inches ; (B)u-'i7 x o-^S inches. Another 

 e,L;g of the Brush Cuckoo taken by Mr. .\. A. [(jhnston in the same locality, from a nest of 

 Maliinis lamhciii, which also contained three eggs of the rightful owner, measures — o-hj x 0-53 

 inches. An egg of the IrJrush Cuckoo taken by Mr. F. A. Shelley, at Lindheld, on the 15th 

 November, lyoS, from a nest of Myiai^ra nihuithi, whicli also contamed three eggs of the rightful 

 owner, measures — 0-71 x 0-57 inches; this egg is barely distinguishable from those oi Myinf^i'a 

 rtihccida. Some specimens from \'ictoria seem to be slightly larger than typical e.xamples 

 obtained in New South Wales, an egg in Mr. G. A. Keartland's collection measuring o-Sj x 

 o-(>3 inches, but another measures only — 0-69 x 0-37 inches. 



Semi-adult birds resemble the adults in the upper parts, but the head is of a brownish-grey 

 and has pale rufous-buff tips to some of the feathers, and to the margins of the upper wing-coverts ; 

 all the under surface is dull white, and having transverse brown cross-bars, which are less 

 distinct on the throat and fore-neck, having a slight rufous-buff wash ; lower part of the 

 abdomen, vent, under-tail and under wing-coverts are \ery pale rufous-buff, ^^'ing 5 inches. 



The Brush or Square-tailed Cuckoo's eggs in New South Wales are usually deposited in 

 the nests of other species from the beginning of October until the end of January. 



Mesocalius osculans. 



BLACK-EAEEI> rUCKOO. 



ChcuIus palliolatiis. Lath. liul. 'Jni , Suppl. II., p. x.w. (IS(Jl) (descr. nulla). 



C/ialciiPi n^c'i/inia, Gould, Proe. Zool. Soc, 1847, p. 32 ; id., Bds. Austr., fol. Vol. IV., pi. 88 (1848). 



J/esdcalius osralaiis, Gould, Handb. Bds. Austr., Vol. I., p. G2I (186.t). 



MUnralius pallinlatH^, Shelley, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., Vol. XIX., p. 279 (1891) ; North, Horn Sci. 

 Exp. Centr. Austr., /ool., p. 6.5 (1896). 



Jfesocali/is palliolafHs, Sharpe, Hand-1. Bds., Vol. 11. , p. 160 (1900). 



Adult male — General colour ahorp (/rei/ish-bro/rn, ivas/ied ivilh bronzy-olive ; wings like the 

 Lack, the quills beiiiij very narrowly edgfd wtt/i ivliity brorn : >i/iper tail-coverts pale ashydiroivn, ivith 

 wliilish tips, but ii-liich is more pronounced un tlieir outer irehs; tail feathers broiizy-olive-browti, 

 ttp/ied irith ivhite, the inner iri'b of t/ie oujirmost feather on either side liaving four u:ell prronounced 

 irhite cross-bars, the inner »r«//.s of the pemdthnale fe.atlier similarly but less distinctly marked ; 

 forehead and sinciput dark ashy-grey ; lores black ; ear-coverts and a line extending on to the sides 

 of tlif-mck black, dnller in cohinr on till' latter: over the eye aiid e.cte tiding idmve the ear-coverts a 

 broai cotispicnons nltile stripe : upper portion of the c/iin and cheeks dull whitish, the former washed 

 with rufous-'niff : remainder of the under surface pale riifous-bufi', passing into dull u'liitish on the 

 centre of tlie aljdomin : loiver sides if llie jlanks pale hrou-n, with broad dull white margins tn most of 



