CUCULUS KLAASI. 155 
distinguished by its rich gloss and by being slightly smaller and 
more elliptical.” (Cf. J. H. Gurney, Ibis, 1868, p. 163). Mrs. Barber 
says that they lay pure white eggs in the nests of Fringillaria vittata 
and all the Nectarinic and remain constantly in the neighbourhood 
of the nest watching over it safely. Mr. Jackson has found pure 
white eggs in the nests of Hyphantornis capitalis, which we suspect 
are the eggs of this Cuckoo, and we are inclined to think that Mr. 
Ayres is mistaken in his identification, and that his sparrow-like eggs 
belong to another species. 
Adult.—Above metallic green, changing to golden green, some- 
times with a coppery gloss, according to the light; a streak down 
the fore part of the head, and a distinct eyebrow, white ; ear-coverts 
coppery green; cheeks, sides of neck, and underparts white, the 
sides of the body as well as the under wing- and tail-coverts barred, 
the sides of vent streaked with dull metallic green; wings metallic 
green above, like the back, varying with the light, the inner greater 
wing-coverts and the quills externally spotted with white, the pri- 
maries more minutely ; under surface of quills ashy brown, with oval 
spots or bars of white on the inner web ; lateral upper tail-coverts 
externally white; tail metallic green, all except the two middle 
feathers tipped with white, the outermost spotted with white on both 
webs, vanishing towards the centre feathers ; “ bill dusky above, horny 
beneath ; legs dusky ; iris and orbit scarlet.” (Blanford.) 
Total length, 8°5 inches; culmen, 0°7; wing, 4°25; tail, 3:4; tar- 
sus, 0°65. 
Fig. Levaill. Ois. d’Afr. v. p. 46, pls. 210, 211. 
189. CucuLus KLAASI. Klaas’s Cuckoo. 
' This is the smallest of the African metallic Cuckoos, and is dis- 
tinguished from C. cupreus by its smaller size and white tail, spotted 
with coppery-green. 
Klaas’s Cuckoo is not uncommon in most wooded parts of the 
‘colony, extending even as far as the Cape peninsula. It is, however, 
not nearly so abundant as the foregoing, from which it is easily dis- 
tinguished by its cry. 
Mrs. Barber says, in its nesting and other habits it resembles the 
preceding species. Victorin met with it at the Knysna in Novem- 
ber and in the Karroo in January. Mr. T. C. Atmore has procured 
it near Elands’ Post, and according to Captain Shelley it was not 
