CUCUMIS. 



wUek UM rabaeqiMai deaoription was taken : " 80 MOD u this bird 

 mm a IM in Ik* woods, wbn> bsea* neat is in the neighbourhood, 

 WttlNlkm**MB > MArfM'*fatldUrttlUlil'" Mr. Swain- 

 em UMB proceed* to describe hi* Indicator trucotu (I. n/Wrorfru, 

 Twain.). ( Binb of WMtan Africa; X*tunaut'Ubimi7; > 'Omi- 



, * 



Mr. mnilan. in hu Wandermpi and Adventure* in South Africa ' 

 (IftU). sava. * Tb. littk honey-roaer. or Indicator, kept fluttering 

 befcr* with ita cry of elMrr. char.- a* if inviting u* to follow. It 

 fWqueally known to conduct traveller* to a nwt of honey deposited 

 in Ik* hollow of tree. I bar* however beard many iutanca 



I of its stopping abort of the hive, and hovering over a spot 

 where a lion or tiger ha. been reposing jusUy establishing it* character 

 as an ImJttmlar. Mr. Van der Xe* informed me that he was once 

 induced to follow it in expectation of discovering honey ; and on 

 pmtiinj through the thick brushwood that enveloped tbe trunk of a 

 tree over which UM Indicator we* hovering, he suddenly came upon a 

 leopard : at the same instant UM animal made a spring in a contrary 

 direction, and much to hi* gratification disappeared without attempt- 

 ing to do him any injury, being evidently as much alarmed at the 

 intrusion a* tbe Veld cornet had been at so unexpected on en- 



Tbe specie* of this family are natives of Africa. 



Tbe other sub-families belonging to tbe Cuculida are, according to 

 Mr. Swaineon, Cotrysimr. and Untopkagiiut, and Liplotluminir. 



The tVrjrrmcr, or Hooked-Billed Cuckoos, are characterised a* 

 having the wing* abort and rounded, the nostril* linear, the bill curved, 

 the margin* of the upper mandible dilated, the tarsus naked and 

 lengthened, and the tail very long and concealed. 



The genera comprised by Mr. Swaiusou under this sub-family 

 are the following: 



SerispBie*, Bill nhort and strong, the gonys Uiick, ascending, 

 and angulatod ; the culmen thickened and arched ; the tarsus 

 and middle toe equal, the lateral toes unequal, and the claws short 

 KiampWi, Scruomtu criiialtu. (Sw.) The species are found in 

 Africa. (Sw.) 



Zmnc!o4tommt- Bill much compressed throughout, gonys curved 

 downwards, culmen and upper mandible greatly curved, and the 

 basal margin considerably dilated ; wings, tail, and feet, as in the last 

 genus, but the lateral fore toe* nearly equal Found in the tropics of 

 the Old World (Sw.). Example, Zancluilomta Jatanicut, P/utnico- 

 imVtu (Horif.). Java. 



(Vieillot). Bill moderate, thickened at the base, coin- 

 gonys straight ; basal margin of the upper mandible not 

 curved outwards, and acarcely dilated ; tarsus and middle toe of equal 

 length ; lateral toes unequal Native* of America only. This genus 

 haunts the branches of lofty trees, from which it collect* the insect* 

 which form it* food. 



C. Amrrifania is described by Yarrell as an occasional viaiter in 

 Great Britain. He records four capture* of this bird. 



Mr. Swainson place* the Coucals of India and Africa under the new 

 sub-genus Leptonnu. 



Ptilulrpt**.- -\\iogt very long; bill intermediate in. form between 

 CVxarynu and CetHruptu; nostrils long and linear; feathers of the 

 bead and neck alrniler and rigid : tanus and middle toe equal, lateral 

 toe* unequal, all the claws curved and of equal sice ; toil-feathers 

 eight Habit* terrestrial. The species inhabit South America. 

 Example, PtiluUft** erutaliu. (Sw.) 



CaVrepiu (llliger). Bill strong; tarsus and middle toe equal; 

 anterior claws slender, slightly curved ; hinder claw very long and 

 nearly straight Native of Africa. Example, C. Seiugakiuit. Mr. 

 Halt, in bis ' Travels,' notices this bird as common in the mountainous 

 district* (Abyssinia), generally sitting in the thick caper and thorny 

 beaha*, whence it i* difficult to drive it 



The OxeeJUgina, or Horn-Bill Cuckoos, consist of the following 



oojaye. fCaoroniAOA-] 



AujiopAn*. BUI rather Urge and compressed throughout ; gonys 

 angulate.1 ; culmen convex, gradually arched ; frontal feathers incum- 

 bent and concealing tbe nostrils ; feathers before the eye erect, form- 

 ing a double crest <8w.) Example, U. impmiliont. (8w.) 



/>ar-<vj44iu ( Vieillot).-BUl large, very thick, smooth, resembling 

 that of a toucan in miniature ; face naked ; nostril* basal, oval, close 



10 "t ft* ***** m * S* 00 of **" bU1 - ud Bended by .tiff 

 net bnetles. (8w.) Example, P. rir,,ti,. 



Tbe Cntnpkifimm an found in Africa and America. 

 M LmWfmtma, or Long Hilled Cuckoo*, consist of the following 



Swerfcr. (VJefllot). -Bill lengthened, longer than the bead, and 

 sinight, except towarda UM tip ; the culmen convex, the gonys 

 straight, UM upper mandibU with iu margins finely crenated ; orbits 

 naked ; wings moderate, aecotid and third quill* longest ; feat short 

 Example. S. ftUtm. 



A MMWmia. OcMral structure of 5MrofArra ; but the upper man- 

 dible u only notched at UM tip, UM margin, are entire ; wing* much 



wMtnajt^Bt UM *- ** - ' 1 * * * . . - - 



- Ant fwur quill* graduated. (Sw.) Native of India. 

 KxampM. A. rm/men*. 

 |*Y**l*MeV--MI very long and entire; wing* very short and 



rounded ; tail long and educated ; tarsus much longer than the toe*. 

 Example, L. hmgicotid*. 



Mr. Swaiuson considers Lrjilutloma to be the grallatorial type of the 

 Cui-ululit. Cntropm he also oonsiden to be a grallatorial 



Tbe Lfiitotiomiiur are found in India and America. 



CUCl'I.IX.K. [<,,, Mi,.J 



cucuLLua rAcALBPHAj 



CUCUMBER, the name of the fruit of CWvmu sorinu. [Curmu.] 

 For its culture and varieties see CUCUMBER, in AKTS AND Sc. Div. 



CUITMHKU, SPIRTING. [MOMOKUICA.] 



I 'MIS, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 CttcurtilacKt, comprehending the Mulon, the Cucumber, and some 

 sorts of Gourd. It i* dUtiuguUhed from the neighbouring genera by 

 its three thick split stigmas, and by the seed* having a thin margin. 

 The fruit U in all caaes pulpy internally, many-aeeded, and divided 

 into three or six cells when young. The following are the principal 

 specie* : 



C. Udo, the Melon. The native country of this valuable plant 

 U unknown. Liunteu* say* Tartary, but his authority i* not given, 

 and in all probability is erroneous ; lie Caudolle says Asia ; Roxburgh 

 only knew it in a cultivated state in tropical India ; and Professor 

 Royle seems unacquainted with any wild station for it in the Himalaya 

 region*. Cashmere is the most likely to be the country whence it 

 sprang ; for it seems to be the mother of many of our other culti- 

 vated fruita, and has from time immemorial been famous for the 

 excellence and abundance of its melons, which form a staple article of 

 the food of the inhabitants. For the varieties and cultivation of this 

 fruit see MELON, in AKTS AXD Sc. Div. ; we only here observe that all 

 the melons known in Europe belong to the present species, unless it 

 be the Winter Melon and ita varieties, and that kind poauibly origi- 

 nates from the following specie* : 



C. utiliuimia, an annual, native of the higher cultivated lands 

 of India, but generally found in a cultivated state. " The stem* 

 exactly as in C talirut, but not quite so extensive. Tendrils simple, 

 leave* broad-cordate, generally more or less Mobed ; lobes rounded, 

 toothlctted ; above pretty smooth, below scabrous, the largest gene- 

 rally about six inches each way. Floral leaves of the female flowers 

 seseile, and very email. Mole flowers axillary, peduucled, crowded, 

 but opening in succession. Female flowers axillary, ped-.mcled, soli- 

 tary, both sorts yellow, about an inch or an inch and a half in diameter. 

 Fruit fleshy, generally a very |>erfcct oval ; when young, downy and 

 clouded with lighter and darker green ; when rijie perfectly smooth, 

 variegated with <le<-]er and lighter yrilow ; from 4 to 6 inches long, 

 and from 8 to 4 inches in diameter. This appears to me to be by far 

 the most useful species of C'vrttmu that I know. When little more 

 than one-half grown the fruits are oblong and a little downy ; in this 

 state they are pickled; when ripe they are about as large as an 

 ostrich's egg, smooth and yellow ; when cut they have much the 

 flavour of the melon, and will keep for several months if carefully 

 iMthrivd without being bruised and hung up; they are also in this 

 state eaten raw, and much used in curries by the natives. The seeds, 

 like- those of other ciicurbituceoiu fruits, contain much farinaceous 

 matter blended with a large portion of mild oil The natives dry and 

 grind them into a meal, which they employ a* on article of diet ; they 

 also express a mild oil from them, which they use iu food and to burn 

 in their lamps. Experience as well as analogy proves these seeds to 

 be highly nourishing, and well deserving of a more extensive culture 

 than is bestowed on them at present. The powder of the toasted 

 seed* mixed with sugar is said to be a powerful diuretic, and > 

 able in promoting the passage of sand or gravel The cultivation <>f 

 this species is chiefly couiiucd to the Guutoor Circar, where the seeds 

 form a considerable branch of commerce ; they are mixed with those 

 uf Jlulciu Svryltum, or some other of the large culmiferous tribe, and 

 sown together ; these plants run on the surface of the earth, and help 

 to shade them from the sun, so that they mutually help each other. 

 The fruit keeps well for several mouths if carefully gathered and 

 suspended." (Roxburgh, ' Flora Indies.') 



C. laiiviu, the Cucumber, has rough stems bearing tendril* ; 



leave* cordate, obscurely 5-lobed, petiolate, the terminal lobe the 



largest ; flowers on short peduncles, usually 3, of a yellow colour ; 



the fruit is long, somewhat triquetrous, smooth or prickly, usually 



Hhiniug. When very young the Cucumber is known by the name of 



Uerkiu. Tartary is assigned to this species as its native country, Init 



upon authority equally questionable with that for the Melon. N 



ii traveller seems to have found it wild. [CucuMUKB, in ARTS 



Div.] 



C. Culocyntkit, the Colocynth Gourd. This plant furnishes the 

 drug Colocyuth, no well known for its purgative |>ropi-rtie*. It is 

 found wild iu the Grecian Archipelago, Egypt, and the iiortli-etiKt.ru 

 part* of Africa generally. Burckhardt saw it covering large tracts iu 

 Nubia, and Roxburgh speaks of it as common on the coast of Coro- 

 uiondel It i* doubtful however whether the plant of the latter 

 botanist is not rather C. Pitiulo-Cdocyntliit. This species grows like 

 a cucumber, but has cordate ovate many-cut and lobed leaves, white 

 beneath with hairs. IU fruit is small, round, deep yellow, smooth, hard 

 externally, with an intensely bitter pulp. The gourds are gathered in 

 autumn, when they are beginning to turn yellow ; they are then peeled 

 and dried rapidly in stoves. [CyLoo.Mii, iu ARTS AMI Sc. Div J 



