CUCULID.E CHRYSOCOCCYX 189 



egg, beautifully transparent, showing the yolk through the shell. 

 On blowing this egg we found that the yolk was of a much deeper 

 shade of orange than that of the Kingfisher." 



466. Chrysococcyx cupreus. Didric Cuckoo. 



Cuculus cupreus, Bodd. Tall. PL Enl. p. 40 (1783) ; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 

 1873, p. 591 ; Buckley, Ibis, 1874, p. 367 [Bamangwato] ; Shelley, 

 Ibis, 1875, p. 83 [near Durban": ; Ban-aft, Ibia, 1876, p. 199. 



Cuculus auratus, Gmel. tiyxt. Xat. i, p. 421 (1788) ; Bun-hell, Travels, i, 

 pp. 464, 501 (1822) : drill, K. Vet. Akad. Handl ii, no. 10, p. 43, 

 (1858) [Oudtshoorn]. 



Le Coucou didric, Leva-ill. Ois. tVAft: v, p. 46, pis. 210-211 (1806). 



Chrysococcyx auratus, Gnnieij^ Ibis, 1859, p. 247 [Natal]; 1868, p. 467 

 [Potchefstroom]. 



Chalcites auratus, La yard, B. S. Afr. p. 250 (1867) ; Gurney, Ibis, 

 1868, p. 163. 



Chrysococcyx cupreus, SJtarpe, ed. La yard's B. S. Afr. pp. 153, 809 

 (1875-84) ; Ayres, Ibis, 1878, p. 407, 1879, p. 297, 1880, p.- 262, 

 1882, p. 245, 1884, p. 224, 1885, p. 343, 1886, p. 291 [Potchef- 

 stroom and Umfuli river]; Gates, Matabeleland, p. 305 (1881); 

 Sy month, Ibis, 1887, p. 328 [Kroonstad] ; Shelley, Cat. B. M. xix, 

 p. 285 (1891) ; id. B. Afr. i, p. 124 (1896) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1897, p. 499 

 fZululand]; Woodward Bros. Natal B. p. 119(1899); A/r.n,,id<r, 

 Mi*. 1900, p. 109 [Zambesi]; Miirxlndl. ibid, p. 252 [Mashona- 

 land ; Haayner, Ibi*. 1901: pp. 16, 18 [Pretoria Dist.j ; Ivy, ibid, 

 p. 26 [Bloemfontein]. 



FIG. 63. Chrysococcyx cupreus. x ^. 



Description. Adult male. General colour above metallic-green, 

 with coppery and blue reflections; a streak in the middle of the 

 crown, a spot in front of the eye, and another behind the eye above 

 the ear-coverts, and some of the inner coverts white ; primary 

 quills dusky, with white bars on the inner webs, most of the 

 secondaries also, with white spots along both webs; central pair 

 of tail-feathers green and immaculate, lateral pairs with white tips 



