Z49 



CUCULID.K. 



CUCULID^E. 



250 



understood as being by no means satisfied on the propriety of the 

 separation. For the present however I shall adopt this genus, 

 conceiving that these splendid little birds may probably constitute 

 the tenuirostral type of the Cuculina, in which case they will be 

 analogous to the humming-birds, and nearly all those genera whose 

 plumage is ornamented with metallic colours. The attempt that has 

 been made to define the group by its bill, nostrils, &c., as distinct 

 from the cuckoos, is singularly unsuccessful ; while those light shades 

 of difference really existing between Chalcitea and Cnculux have been 

 completely overlooked. Ckalcitei, in fact, has the bill, nostrils, feet, 

 and wings of Cucului, with this difference only, that the tip of the 

 upper mandible is without the slightest indication of a notch ; the 

 second and third quills are longer than the fourth, and the feathers of 

 the rump and upper tail-covers, instead of being thick-set and rigid, 

 are of the same degree of density and softness as in ordinary birds. 

 AVe have seen that, however dissimilar in their appearance the fore- 

 going groups of the Cucuiiruz may be, yet that the variation of their 

 external structure is but slight. This consideration has much weight 

 with me in the temporary adoption of M. Lesson's genus Chalcitei, 

 for we have just seen an example in Erythr&phrys, where there is an 

 equally slight variation in external form, yet a most important one in 

 economy and internal orgauj.-iatiou." (' Mag. of Zool. and Bot.') 



C'iitilcitct aurattu. 



Eiulynamyt, Horsf. and Vig. Bill strong, thick, the under mandible 

 not curved, and augulated beneath ; upper mandible entire ; wings 

 pointed, the fourth quill longest ; tarsi much shorter than the longest 

 toe ; the upper part plumed ; rump and tail-covers soft. Inhabits 

 the Old World. 



Mr. Vigors and Dr. Horsfield, who established this genus in their 

 description of the Australian birds in the collection of the Linmeaii 

 Society (' Linn. Trans.,' vol. xv. p. 303), observe that the true Cuckoos, 

 or that portion of the family of C'ucutidre which constitutes the genus 

 Cuculiu of authors, is distinguished from the remaining groups of 

 the family by the comparative weakness of the bill, in which the 

 nares are small and rounded, and situated on an elevated membrane ; 

 by the wings being strongly acuminated, the primary quill-feathers 

 considerably exceeding the secondary in length ; and by the feeble- 

 uess of the legs and toes, the former of which are plumed beneath 

 the knee, and are generally covered by the feathers. Ewlynamya, 

 they state, deviates from these characters, which may be considered 

 typical in the family, by the greater strength of all these members. 

 The bill U powerful, the under mandible more particularly, which is 

 marked by a strong ascending gonys. The nostrils are wide and oval, 

 and covered only on the upper part by a membrane. The tarsi and 

 feet are particularly strong ; the former are much compressed on the 

 external side, exhibiting by this conformation a nearly flattened 

 surface in front. In many of these particulars the group agrees very 

 nearly with the neighbouring genera, Centropiu, 111., and Phmtico- 

 jihatu, Vieill., which have equally bten separated from the typical 

 specie* of the family. But it may at once be distinguished from 

 Cmlrojnu by the absence of the lengthened nail to the hallux ; and it 

 will be seen equally to differ from Phanicophatu in its stronger, 

 shorter, and less arcuated bill, in the wings being longer, and the tail 

 rounded, not graduated. The compressed formation of the sides of 

 the tarsi iu Eiulyiiamys is also wanting in Phcmicophaui. 



The species are widely distributed over the East. 



. Oi-ientalu; Cuculiu Orimtalii, Linn. ; Coucou des Indes Orien- 

 taleo, ' Eul.' ; Eastern Black Cuckoo, Lath. 



The plumage of the male in black with metallic lustre. Bill yellow. 

 The female is shining greenish-brown above, spotted with white ; tail- 

 feathen banded with white ; whitish beneath, transversely undulated 



with greenish-brown. The synonyms of the female are Cuculus Min- 

 danemii, Linn. ; Coucou Tachete" de Mindanao, ' Enl.' 277.; Mindanao 

 Cuckoo, Lath. (Vigors and Horsfield.) 



Eastern Black Cuckoo (Etulynamyi Oricntalu). 



" These birds, which now generally are considered the sexes of one 

 species, appear to be but accidental visiters in the colony. At least 

 Mr. Caley informs us that he never met with more than two indivi- 

 duals of the male and one of the female. The male specimen in the 

 society's collection seems to ba a young bird changing to the adult 

 plumage. It has several pale ferruginous feathers iu the lowtr parts 

 of the body, and it has a single ferruginous feather streaked with 

 black among the secondary quill-feathers of the right wing, which 

 forms a striking contrast with the deep black of the rest. The cor- 

 responding feather on the left wing was lost, as Mr. Caley tells us, by 

 the shot striking the wing. This bird had berries of Cassi/tha in its 

 stomach. The native name of the male is Cowhat, of the female, 

 Ik-Hinging." (Vigors and Horsfield.) 



"All the cuckoos I have yet seen," says Mr. Swainson in his 

 ' Memoirs on the Cuculidse,' " with more or less pointed wings, and 

 circular nostrils, and whose habits are parasitic, will arrange them- 

 selves under .one or othrr of the foregoing genera. Nor are there 

 wanting considerations, drawn from their analogical resemblances in 

 other groups, which render it highly probable that they serve to 

 indicate a circular group. Ei-yt/irofihi-ys, as the rasorial type, resem- 

 bles the rufous-winged scansorial creeper ; and as it is by this group 

 that the parasitic cuckoos) lead immediately to those which build 

 nests, so we have the external characters of Ojcylophm joined to tho 

 economy of Coccyziw. C'halcitet, again, as representing the humming- 

 birds, may be viewed as the tenuirostral type ; while Eudynamys, 

 with its large bill, and black glossy plumage, will become the repre- 

 sentative of the toucans, and of tho fissiroatral ty|>e. It m;iy 

 be questioned, indeed, whether Cu.cu.lua or Ojylophus follows 

 Eudynamyi ; but I incline to the series in which they are here 

 placed, from the obvioua affinity of Efythrophrys to O.ry'.ophu.." 

 ('Mag. of Zool. and Bot.') 



The family Indwatorinas includes the Honey-Guides. The'e 

 appears to be but one genus, Indicator (Le Vaillant), which is 

 thus characterised : Bill straight, Finch-likp, the base triangular, the 

 sides compressed. Culmen and gouys equally inclined towards the 

 tip ; gonys angulated. Wings lengthened, pointed. Tail moderate, 

 rounded. Feet short. Middle toe much longer than the tarsus. 



Mr. Swaiuson is of opinion that the nearest approach to the 

 Creepers yet known is made by the African Honey-Guides, whose bill 

 is not unlike Ur/honyx ; and he adds that these birds are said to climb 

 in a more perpendicular manner than any others of this family ; the 



.mo zoologist has pointed out the affinity of Indicator to Buphaga. 



The species are not numerous. The stories told of these birds 

 indicating the nests of bees and guiding men to them by their motions 

 and cries, from the time of Sparrman downwards, appear to be per- 

 fectly authentic, though some great travellers allected to disbelieve 

 them. Mr. Swainson censures Bruce and Le Vaillaut for their scep- 

 ticism on this subject, and quotes Mr. Barrow to prove the univer- 

 sality of agreement on this point iu the country itself. He farther 

 says, ''If more evidence was wanting than this and other similar con- 

 firmations of Dr. Span-man's statement, it will be found in the follow- 

 ing note by M. Wiedmann, attached by a label to the specimen from 



