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COCCYSTES JACOBINUS. 159 
its black upper surface. From O. cafer it is distinguished by its 
smaller size, and by the absence of black streaks on the throat and 
breast. 
In aletter to the author, Mr. H. Bowker observes: ‘“ There is 
another Cuckoo which I cannot quite make out from your book, but 
I think it is O. melanoleucus, very common in Albany and appearing 
early in October. It lays its eggs in the nest of the black forked 
tail Spreo (Dicrurus musicus), and also in that of the Woodpecker. 
It looks after its young to see that the foster parents are attentive to 
them. I once watched a Woodpecker’s nest, and when the nurses 
bry” g, food to the nest they were always followed by one of these 
> ~~ ifter the Woodpeckers left, always looked into the nest to 
3 s right and then sat near until the return of the Wood- 
p ., wuen the same thing was repeated ; on examining the nest 
I found four fine young Cuckoos in it.” 
Mr. T. C. Atmore’s collections made near Elands’ Post included 
examples, and Mr. Ayres has procured it in Natal and the Transvaal. 
Mr. F. A. Barratt informs us that he has shot the bird near Pochef- 
stroom and also at Rustenburg in January, 1875. Mr. T. E. Buckley 
collected it on the Limpopo and in the Transvaal territory, where he 
found it abundant: as he only saw it on his way down from the 
Matabili he considers it to be a summer visitant. 
Mr. Andersson says :—‘ This is about the most common Cuckoo 
in Damara Land, the first to arrive with the rainy season ; I have 
also received specimens of it from Lake N’gami. I believe it breeds 
in Damara Land, having seen young birds barely able to fly. This 
species has a true Cuckoo’s note, and is very swift of flight and 
quick in its movements.” Anchieta has found it on the River 
Cunene, and at Huilla, Biballa and Gambos in Mossamedes. 
Adult.—Head, which is ornamented with a long crest, and entire 
upper surface glossy greenish black, the tail tipped with white; pri- 
maries brown, white at the base both internally and externally, 
forming a large white alar spot; sides of face black; under surface 
entirely dull white, with a yellowish tinge on the throat and breast ; 
under wing-coverts yellowish white, the lower ones greyish ; flanks 
shaded with dusky grey; bill and feet black; iris yellow. Total 
length, 13-6 inches ; culmen, | ; wing, 6°4; tail, 8 ; tarsus, 1°5. 
Young.—Brown, the quills paler; tail brown, tipped with white, 
the centre feathers glossed with greenish ; a white alar spot as in 
