DESCRIPTIONS OF OUR NATIVE BIRDS. 23 



PALLID CUCKOO, or UNADORNED CUCKOO. 



(Cuculus inornatus.) 



OTHER SPECIES 



IN 



SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 



Fantailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis rufulus). 

 Black-eared Cuckoo {Mesocalius palUolatus). 

 Bronze Cuckoo {Chalcococcyx plagosus). 

 Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoo {Chalcococcijx hasalis). 



Size. — This bird is as large as a dove. Its long tail, however, makes it appear 

 larger. 



Bill. — Its bill is pick-shaped and black pointed, but showing yellow at the sides 

 near the face. 



Eyes. — The eyes are encircled with yellowish rings. 



Feet and Legs. — The feet and legs are a dirty yellowish green. 



Plumage. — The whole appearance is greyish brown mottled with white. The 

 under wing and tail feathers are barred with white and tipped with white. 



Habitat. — The cuckoo prefers well timbered country. 



Food. — This bird lives chiefly upon insects. 



Nest. — The cuckoo does not build a nest for itself ; it prefers to lay its egg in the 

 nest of another bird. The cuckoo selects a different nest each time it 

 lays an egg. 



Eg&s. — Some bird observers claim that the cuckoo lays quite a large number of 

 eggs in a season. It is, however, a difficult matter to settle. The eggs 

 of the pallid cuckoo are pinkish white, faintly speckled with brown, 

 and measure about I'm. x ¥m. 



