2 74 GALLIN.^, 



the young cuckoo begins operations by gently insinuating his tail 

 under the body of one of the young birds, which he then, with the 

 assistance of his wings, contrives to hoist upon his back. With 

 liis load properly poised, the young cuckoo goes backing until he 

 reaches the edge of the nest, when, with a sudden jerk, he throws 

 it out to perish. The other nestlings soon follow, and he then 

 betakes himself to the unhatched eggs, which are disposed of in 

 the same way. 



The cuckoos proper constitute a group of very closely allied 

 species, which, from the resem.blance of their colours and mark- 

 ings, are with difficulty distinguishable. They are almost all grey 

 above and more or less banded beneath, the tail having white 

 spots. 



The Indian Cuckoo {Cuculus miooptenis) differs conspicuously from 

 our common species. lis call, which is repeattd more frequently than that of 

 other cuckoos, is a double note of two syllables each, a fine, melodious, pleasing 

 whistle, which the natives of Bengal attempt to imitate in the name they give 

 it, bokiitako : it sounds almost like a double repetition of the word cuckoo. Its 

 manners and habits are similar to those of the common cuckoo: it utters its 

 call from the top of a high tree, and moves frecjuently from one tree to another. 



A very common Indian species is the Hawk Cuckoo [H ierococcyx variiis). 

 It is found throughout the whole country, though most abundantly in wooded 

 districts, and its loud crescendo notes arc to be heard in the breeding season 

 in every garden. They somewhat resemble pipceha! pipceha! repeated several 

 times, each time in a higher tone than the last, till they become exceedingly 

 loud and shrill. 



The type of this sub-famil\' — 



The Common Cuckoo {Cuculus canorus) is with us only a summer 

 visitant ; it arrives about the beginning of April, and during the whole of its 

 sojourn in this country leads a wandering hfe, building no nest and attaching 

 itself to no particular locality. 



ORDER IV. 

 Gallix.i:. 



THE Gallinaceous birds are all terrestrial. They have a short 

 or moderately long beak, which is vaulted above. Their 

 body is heavy, and their wings generally short. They all live upon 

 grain, and are furnished with a strong muscular gizzard ; they 



