COCCYSTES GLANDARITTS 63 



Iris brown ; bill blackish ; feet dark grey. 



Total length 15-50 inches, wing 8-25, culmen 1-10, tarsus 1-40. 



Adult female similar to the male, but rather smaller. 



The Great Spotted Cuckoo is by no means rare in Tunisia, during 

 the spring and summer months, and like the common Cuckoo, is 

 to be met with principal!}' in the northei'n and more wooded parts 

 of the Eegency, where it breeds. The date of its arrival in spring 

 seems to be earlier than that of the preceding species. I have no 

 positive information as regards Tunis, but Colonel Irby mentions 

 February 25th and March 2nd, as the earliest known dates of its 

 arrival in Andalucia, and states that the bulk of the birds appear 

 there between March 7th and 28th (Orn. Strs. Gib. p. G9). 



Favier states that the species crosses over from Marocco to Europe 

 as early as January, but this must be exceptional. According to Mr. 

 Howard Saunders the Great Spotted Cuckoo is common throughout 

 the summer in Spain as far north as the vicinity of Madrid, where 

 it breeds in large numbers, generally depositing its eggs in nests of 

 the Magpie and occasionally in those of the Blue-winged Magpie 

 and Kaven (Man. Brit. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 289). In Italy the species 

 occurs accidentally as a straggler, and examples of the bird have been 

 obtained there occasionally, chiefly from the Ligurian districts and 

 the island of Sicily. It is said to visit Greece and South Kussia, and 

 occurs in summer in Asia Minor, Palestine and North Persia, while 

 in Egypt, Nubia and Somaliland it is a common breeding species. 

 It winters in South Africa and ranges as far as Cape Colony. 



According to Loche, this Cuckoo is not uncommon, as a summer 

 migrant, in all the wooded localities of Algeria. 



Mr. 0. Salvin met with it when travelling in the Eastern Atlas, 

 and states that the wooded hills on the south side of Lake Djendeli, 

 and the neighbourhood of the Madracen, are favourite breeding haunts 

 of the species (Ibis, 1859, p. 318). 



In its habits and in its note C. g/andarius differs considerably 

 from G. canorus. Captain Shelley says that in Egypt the species may 

 be met with abundantly in the clumps of Sont-trees, usually in pairs, 

 or small family parties, and is by no means shy, often sitting motion- 

 less on a bough while one walks beneath the tree (Birds of Egypt, 

 p. 162). 



Canon Tristram, in some interesting notes on a journey made by 



