WE CUCULIDAE 35.5 
The genus Coccystes, of South Europe, Africa, and Tropical 
Asia, includes the Great Spotted Cuckoo (C. glandarius), which 
has twice occurred in Britain, a crested greyish-brown bird, with 
a yellowish throat, white under parts and markings above. In 
Southern Spain and Northern Africa it deposits from two to four 
eggs in the nests of the Magpies, Pica rustica, P. mauritanica, 
and Cyanopica cooki, or of the Grey Crow, Corvus corniz ; these 
egos, like those of the foster parents, being pale green with brown 
and lilac markings. The note of the male is “ kee-ou, kee-ou” or 
“kark-kark,” of the female “burroo-burroo.” CC. coromandus, 
chiefly greenish- and bluish-black above with rufous wings and 
white nuchal collar, and buff below with grey abdomen, ranges 
from India and Ceylon to China and Celebes, laying roundish, 
plain green-blue eges in nests of Crateropus and other birds, and 
having a true Cuckoo’s note. C. serratus of South Africa, which 
is greenish-black with a white alar band, is somewhat terrestrial, 
and lays a white egg in nests of Pyenonotus and Sigelus. 
Surniculus lugubris, extending from India to China and the 
Malay Islands, is black, with green and purple reflexions and a 
few scattered white markings. The tail is sometimes forked. 
Cacomantis passerinus, of India, Java, and Sumatra, is grey, 
having an olive gloss above, blue-black rectrices with white bars, 
and white abdomen. It frequents jungles, utters a plaintive 
series of whistles, continuing for hours, and lays bluish eggs 
with purplish markings in various birds’ nests.  C. virescens of 
Celebes and Bouru is said by Dr. Meyer to build its own nest. 
Chrysococcyx smaragdineus, of Tropical and Southern Africa, is 
a lovely emerald-green bird, with yellow breast and white-barred 
lateral rectrices. The female has a partially rufous head and mantle, 
coppery, bronze, and green upper parts, and white lower surface 
banded with green. The males whistle loudly to their mates for 
long periods, perched on tall trees, or hawk for insects in the air. 
C. cupreus, of the same countries, is in both sexes coppery-green 
varied with white above, and white with bronzy bars below ; it is 
called “ Di-dric” from its ery, and lays white eggs in Sun-birds’ and 
Finches’ nests. The similarly coloured Chalcococeyx lucidus of 
Australia, New Zealand, and the Chatham Islands has a reiterated 
plaintive note, with the effect of ventriloquism, aud foists its green- 
ish-white eges with brown spots upon Acanthiza and Gerygone. 
Of Hudynamis, ranging from India and Ceylon to Australia 
