BIRDS OF EGYPT. 163 



means shy, and will often sit motionless on a bough while one 

 walks beneath the tree. In Egypt they breed at thesalno 

 time as the Hooded Crow, and invariably select a nest of 

 that species in which to deposit their eggs. 



Von Henglin (Orn. N. 0. Afr. p. 787) is of opinion that 

 they first lay their eggs on the gromid and then carry them 

 in their beaks to the nest they have selected, in the same 

 manner as the Common Cuckoo does. About half of those 

 that I saw even as late as May were in immature plumage. 



Top of the head crested, and of a pale slaty-grey with finr 

 dusky streaks along the shafts of the feathers ; remainder of th- 

 upper plumage olivaceous brown, all the feathers of the wing 

 and upper tail-coverts tipped with white ; tail bronzy black 

 tipped with white ; throat buff ; under surface of the body 

 creamy white. Legs slate-colour ; beak dark brown, inclining 

 to yellow at the base of the lower mandible ; irides brown. 



Entire length 17 inches; culmen 1 ; wing, carpus to tip, 

 8 ; tarsus 1'3. 



The females have the primaries more or less strongly 

 marked with rufous. The immature birds have the top of 

 the head black, primaries more rufous, and the throat yellow. 



Fig. Gould, B. of Eur. pi. 241. 



140. Chrysococcyx cupreus (Bodd.). Bronzy-green Cuckoo. 



Herr F. Heine (J. f. 0. 1863, p. 350) states that this bird, 

 which he calls Lamprococcjjx chrysocUlorus, comes into Egypt. 

 This Von Heuglin (Orn. N. O. Afr. p. 777) disbelieves; for, 

 as he observes, it is a truly tropical species, never occurring 

 in Nubia or in northern Scnaar and Kordofan, and conse- 

 quently still less likely to be met with in Egypt. I perfectly 



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