TNSESSORES. 623 



country, could have been sent to England at the period at 

 which he wrote : it is even now extremely rare in our col- 

 lections. 



Genus LAMPROCOCCYX, Cabanis et Heine. 



The members of this genus are widely dispersed, being 

 found in New Zealand, Australia, Java, and Africa. At least 

 three inhabit Australia, of which, the two frequenting the 

 southern portions of that country have been considered iden- 

 tical, but with a little care they may be easily distinguished. 



Sp. 383. LAMPROCOCCYX PLAGOSUS. 



Bronze-Cuckoo. 



Cuculus plagosus, Lath. Ind. Orn., Sup. p. xxxi. 



metallicus, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 302. 



versicolor, Gray, Gen. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 464, Cuculus sp. 30. 



Golden or Bronze-Cuckoo of the Colonists. 



Chrysococcyx lucidus, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. iv. 

 pi. 89, centre figure. 



The New Zealand Lamprococcyx lucidus being now consi- 

 dered distinct from the species found in New South Wales, 

 it becomes necessary to determine which specific appellation 

 was first applied to the latter ; this I believe to be C. plagosus 

 of Latham, which I therefore adopt, and reduce the C. metallicus 

 of Vigors and Horsfield, and the C. versicolor of Mr. G. R. 

 Gray's Genera of Birds to the rank of synonyms. 



The Lamprococcyx playosus is very widely dispersed over 

 every part of the Australian continent, and if it be not mi- 

 gratory in New South Wales, the greater number certainly 

 retire in winter to the northward, where insect food is more 

 abundant. I have, however, seen it in the Botanic Garden at 

 Sydney in the month of March. Its food consists of insects 

 of various orders, the stomachs of those examined containing 



