CUCULUS SOLITARIUS. 149 
in the nearest convenient tree.” He also procured a specimen in 
Ondonga, and Anchieta has met with it at Humbe on the Cunene 
River. 
Adult male.—Above bluish grey, rather glossed with brownish on 
| the head and back, and decidedly clearer grey on the rump and 
‘upper tail-coverts, the lateral feathers of the last-named being 
| 
transversely spotted and barred with white ; wing-coverts dark < 
greyish-brown, primary coverts and quills rather darker, especially 
___ the secondaries, which are glossed with greyish, the inner webs very 
distinctly barred with white; tail ashy grey, the outer feathers 
. browner and all tipped with white, before which a distinct blackish 
__ bar crosses the end of the tail, this bemg much more distinct when 
viewed from underneath ; the centre feathers marked with longi- 
tudinal drops of white along the shaft, these increasing in extent 
towards the outer feathers, which are also notched or spotted 
with white on the inner web, until on the last they form more or 
i less perfect bars across the feather; sides of the face and entire 
_ throat bluish grey, rather lighter on the lores and fore part of the 
cheeks, the fore neck tinted with pale russet; remainder of under 
surface creamy white, transversely barred with greyish brown, these 
bars becoming more zig-zag in shape on the under tail-coverts ; 
under wing-coverts white, with irregular cross markings of grey ; 
axillary plumes white, barred like the breast; bill yellow on the 
lower mandible and on the base of the upper one, including the 
_ nostrils, becoming blackish on the edge of the culmen and the tip of 
both mandibles; feet yellow. Total length, 12 inches; culmen, 1:0; 
wing, 8°5; tail, 6°5; tarsus, 0°85. 
Fig. Levaill. Ois. d’Afr. v. pls. 200, 201. 
135. -CucuLus sOLITARIUS. Red-chested Cuckoo. 
This Cuckoo, known among the colonists by the name of “ Pietinijn- 
vrouw,” from its call resembling these words, is a periodical visitant 
over the whole colony, extending even as far as the Cape peninsula. 
Mr. Atmore informs us that in 1870, the first specimen of this 
Cuckoo was observed at George, on the 13th September; in our 
experience they generally made their appearance near Cape Town 
from November up to Christmas time, and Victorin records it from 
the Knysna in October and November. It has been sent from Natal 
