[Case 64.] 
98 BIRD GALLERY. 
Order XX VII. CUCULIFORMES. Cuvucxoo-rrisz. 
The birds comprising this Order form a fairly well-marked group, and 
are divided into two families, the Cuculide or Cuckoos, and the Muso- 
phagide or Turacos. In the former the foot is of the true zygodactylous 
type, with the first and fourth toes turned backwards and the second 
and third forwards; but in the Turacos the fourth toe is less completely 
reversed, and we find what is known as a semi-zygodactylous type, 
similar to that seen in the Madagascar Rollers. 
Family I. Cucutipm. Cucxoos. (Plate XXI. fig. 1.) 
The Cuculide are a cosmopolitan family, feeding on insects and 
fruits, and specially interesting on account of the peculiar parasitic 
habits of many of the species, which impose the burden of hatching 
their eggs and rearing their young on other birds. One or more eggs 
are placed in the nest of some suitable foster-mother, whose own young > 
are subsequently ejected by the young Cuckoo. Many Cuckoos, 
however, are not parasitic, but build their own nests and rear their 
young in the ordinary manner. 
Six subfamilies are recognised; the first, including the true Cuckoos 
(Cuculine), are hawk-like birds and our common Cuckoo (Cuculus 
canorus) (1385) [Pl. XXI. fig. 1], from whose note the family derives 
its name, is the type. It is a summer-visitor to Great Britain, 
Europe, and Asia, migrating southwards in winter as far as Australia 
and South Africa. The female deposits her egg on the ground, and 
conveys it in her bill to the nest of the foster-parent, the latter being 
generally some insectivorous bird such as a Pipit, Wagtail, or Warbler, 
etc. The eggs laid by different individuals differ greatly in colour, 
and often resemble those of the host; the most remarkable type of 
ege is blue, and generally found in nests of the Redstart, when it is 
only to be distinguished by its greater size. The large Hawk-Cuckoo 
(Mierococcyx sparverioides) (1884) of the Himalaya and Eastern Asia 
closely resembles in appearance and flight a species of Sparrow-Hawk 
(Accipiler virgatus) found in the same countries. This resemblance is 
quite unexplained ; but, as it is sufficient to cause great alarm to small 
birds in general, is possibly connected with the breeding-habits. 
Another well-known member is the so-called “ Brain-fever-Bird” 
(Cacomantis merulinus) (1386). 
A well-known European and African species is the Great Spotted 
Cuckoo (Coccystes glandarius) (1382), a rare straggler to Great Britain. 
The host selected by this bird is usually a Magpie or Crow, and from 
four to eight eggs have been found in one nest. The Drongo-Cuckoos 
(Surniculus) (18838) are small black species closeiy resembling the 
