134, CucuLus GuLaRIs. South African Cuckoo. 
we 
148 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
greenish gloss; quills brownish, the secondaries slightly glossed with | 
greenish in some lights, the inner web broadly and numerously 
barred with white, these white bars, however, not occupying more 
than two-thirds of the quill; tail blackish, tipped with white, the 
centre feathers showing an indication of atiny white spot along the 
shaft, a little plainer on the three outer ones, becoming larger 
towards the outermost, the four external feathers also minutely 
spotted with white on the inner web, these also increasing in size 
towards the outer feather, at the base of which they form irregular 
bars: sides of the face, entire throat, and fore neck pale blue-grey; 
rest of the under surface of the body white, transversely barred with 
rather narrow. lines of greyish black; vent and under tail-coverts 
whiter, indistinctly barred with blackish, the bars on the longer tail- 
coverts broader, but further apart ; under wing-coverts white, shading 
into greyish on the edge of the wing and lower coyerts; bill horn- 
black, with a little yellow at the gape and on the base of the lower 
mandible ; feet yellow, nails brownish ; iris and eyelid yellow. Total 
length, 13 inches; culmen, 1:15; wing, 8°8; tail, 7°5; tarsus, 0°9. 
Fig. Levaill. Ois. d’Afr. v. pls. 202, 203. 
As mentioned on the preceding page the white bars on the outer 
tail-feather distinguish this Cuckoo, which is otherwise a close ally 
of CO. canorus; its yellow nostrils are also a good character. Itis rare 
near the sea-coast, but becomes more plentiful towards the interior — 
of South Africa. Le Vaillant records it from Caffraria. During his 
recent excursion to the Matabili country, Mr. T. E. Buckley only 
observed it once, on the River Meathly in Bamangwato, on the 24th 
of October, 1873, when he thinks it was on migration. He adds:— 
“Tt is shy and restless, continually flying from one tree to another, 
generally in the same line of flight. It flies like our common 
Cuckoo, but more deliberately ; its note, too, in the same manner, is 
more slowly uttered, the first syllable not being in such a high 
key.” i 
Mr. Andersson writes :—‘‘ This Cuckoo is pretty common in the _ 
rainy season throughout Damara Land, and in some parts of crt : 
Namaqua Land. Its flight is very rapid and zig-zag; but it does _ 
not move far at a time, usually taking refuge, after being disturbed, 
: 
I 
