LA.MrKOCOCCVX. 



23 



late Professor Hutton, and obtained near Christchurch, New Zealand. There is only a slight and 

 almost imperceptible rufous wash on the penultimate tail-feathers of all three specimens. It is 

 worthy of note that both the Mosman and Darling I'oint specimens are adult females. The eggs 

 of L(Wiprocoa-y.\ lucidus received from New Zealand are an olivatious-brown, and cannot be 

 distinguished from those of its close ally L. plaii'isus. 



Dr. A. M. Morgan sends me the following note from South Australia :—" Twenty-live 

 years ago LaiiipivuhtVA plai^'usns was very common about the .\delaide Hills, but is now I think 

 much rarer. I judge by the number of eggs one finds, as 1 am unable to separate this 

 bird from L. Inf-iilis without handling them. It was no unusual thing at that time to find two 

 or three eggs in an afternoon, but now tliey are (|uite rare. The host here was invariably 

 A tiiiitlii:d iiii]'Siirrli(iiis." 



Lamprococcyx basalis. 



RUKOU.S-TAILED BKciNZE CUCKOO. 



Curidu>^ ljas„ns, llorsf., Trans. Linn. Soc, Vol. Xlii., p. 17'J (1821). 



C/iri/snciicri/.r biisalis, Gould, Bds. Au.str., fol. Vol. IV., pi. .'^9 (pt. ), upper and lower tigs. 

 Laiiiprociirci/.r liau'dis, Gould, Hand lik. Bds. Austr., Vol, 1,, p. 026 (ISG.")). 



Chah-oo-ijy bas,ili.^, Shelley, Cat. Bd.s. Brit. Mus , Vol. XIX., p. 294 (1S91) ; Sharpe, Handl. 

 Bds., Vol. II., p. I(i2 n900). 

 Adult male. — drurral rulour uliiire lirmrn, lie fmil,, rs uf llie li^ad hdriny a vfirii sliyht dull 

 jmrjilirih liuii< , tliiisi iif till- tiaci,-, ni.inji iind iipjifr lniUci'rrrts^ iritiys mid lad xlrniiql ij yl'isspd iin/Ji 

 hroii'.ij-iiietaUu' yreeri ; all tin- np/ifr /i-inyi-dVi'rts and ijuill-i narroifly edyed tcitli. irliifi/-hriiivn, and 

 hacitiy l/ir itiiur irebs iif tlf latter idjoiit tin- rfintre nifuns near tlie slmft, paling into irlritydirown 

 on the e.rtreiiie ed(/e .■ iirer the <-(/'' and exi, tid'iuy on to tlie sides nf tlie nape, a inure or less well defined 

 n-hifish streak: r,i,r-cor,rts bron-it: c/iiii, throat and fore-ueek irhitish, the latter irregularly and 

 transversely bnrrrd n-ilh brvn-n, mid iJir iuti rsjmees huriny a sHyht hron-nisli tinge: remainder nf the 

 under snr/ae,' ii-hite barred n-it/i bnnrn mi th, si'b s of the briast : nnder tnH'Cnrrrts irhite and hariuy 

 three or more diamniiil or liear/sha/ird. broir.ydinnon s/wts ihnm Ihr centre: bill blnek: leys n nd feet 

 mealy-yriy ; iris orange. Total hnyth in Ihi fi,sh i',-7'i inches, n-iny .',, tail 2-!>,bill O'-'i, tarsns (t-7:.'. 



Adult female. — Similar in plumage to tlo male. 



Distribntion. —North-western .\ustralia. Northern Territory of South Australia, (Jueensland, 

 New South Wales, N'ictoria, South Australia, Central .Australia, Western .Australia. 



/"Tj^lll': Narrow-billed or Kufous-tailed Ijronze Cuckoo is, if anything, even more freely 

 -L dispersed over the Australian continent than ^the preceding species, and evinces a 

 decided preference for the coastal districts, whereas Lamprococcyx basalis is found equally plentiful 

 in the inland districts and in Central Australia as it is elsewhere. It likewise occurs in Tasmania, 

 and according to Captain G. E. Shelley is also found in the Aru Islands, Timor, Flores, 

 Lombock, Java and Malacca. It is needless to here recapitulate the many different parts of 

 the continent in which it has been obtained. To Eastern . Australians it is well known, and is a 

 permanent resident throughout the year in the neighbourhood of Sydney, but as has been 

 previously mentioned of other species, it is more in evidence during the spring and summer 

 months. The late Mr. T. 11. Bowyer-Bower obtained specimens at Derby, North-western 

 Australia, in iS.S6. Mr. Tom Carter sends me a note of its occurrence at Point Cloates. In 

 iSbS Mr. George Masters obtained adults and young at Mongup, Salt Kiver, Western .Australia, 

 and again in the same year at Port Lincoln, South Australia, and Mr. G. .A. Keartland procured 

 specimens at Reedy Hole, Central Australia, while a member of the Horn Scientific Expedition. 



