On the Cuckoos of the Genus Neomorphus. 287 



XXXIV. — Remarks on Neomorphus pucherani and its Allies. 

 By G. N. Lawrence. 



I have been much interested in the examination of two spe- 

 cimens, male and female, of a Cuckoo sent me for determi- 

 nation by Prof. James Orton : they were obtained in the Upper 

 Amazonian region, near Pebas, by Mr. J. Hauxwell. 



I found them to be of the rare species Neomorphus pucherani 

 (Cultr ides pucherani, Deville), specimens of which few orni- 

 thologists appear to have had the opportunity of examining; for 

 I can find no record of any having been procured since the 

 description of the types, figures of which are given in the 

 Zoology of Castelnau's Voyage. 



Mr. Sclater (P. Z. S. 1864, p. 249) has expressed a doubt 

 of the specific value of this species. Having under examina- 

 tion a specimen of N. rufipennis, from Demerara, he is in- 

 clined to consider it identical with N. pucherani ; he says, " At 

 least I have very little doubt that the species is the same, 

 although I can say but little in praise of the figures of Cul- 

 trides pucherani given in the ' Zoology of Castelnau's Voyage/ 

 I may observe, however, that M. O. Des Murs's supposition 

 there expressed, that this species is the young of Neomorphus 

 geoffroyi, appears to have very little foundation." 



Subsequently Mr. Sclater (P.Z.S. 1866, p. 59) has de- 

 scribed a new species of Neomorphus, viz. N. salvini, and again 

 gives diagnoses of N. geoffroyi and N. rufipennis, and, under 

 the latter, remarks " I am still uncertain as to whether the 

 Cultrides pucherani of Deville, figured in 'Castelnau's Voyage/ 

 belongs to this species or not. If different it will form a 

 second species of the same section"*. 



M. O. Des Murs (Castelnau's Voyage, p. 18) gives as his 

 opinion, that N. pucherani is one of the stages of plumage of 



* [It is quite true that in 1866 I questioned the specific validity of 

 Neomorphus pucherani. But in 1868 1 had an opportunity of examining 

 the typical specimens in the Jardin des Plantes, in company with Mr. 

 Salvin, and saw at a glance that there could be no doubt of its being an 

 excellent species. Moreover, last year Mr. Hauxwell sent a pair of these 

 birds to this country also ; and one of these is now in my collection, and 

 the other in that of Salvin and Godman. — P. L. S. n 



