CLASSIFIED NOTES r,or, 



North Russia. Scandinavia, and Denmark, while about seventy have appeared in the British Isles, 

 and it occurs in most of the countries of Central Europe. [F. c. R. J.] 



Ki Ai!.r.i)-l)i:i:-i:\ri:u [Mirops pfiilippintui]. Is said to have been once obtained near 

 Seat. :i i 'aivw in 1862, but the evidence is not conclusive. [F. c. R. J.]] 



[l!i:i.Ti;n-Kix<;FisiiKU [Cenjle U/C//.M/ (Linn.Tus)]. Is said to have been twice obtained in 

 Ireland, but though this species has occurred in Iceland, Holland, and the Azores, the 

 circumstances connected with the Irish records in 1845 are open to grave suspicion, and at 

 present it cannot be admitted to the British list. [F. c. K. j.]] 



THE CUCKOOS 1 



[ORDER: Cuml (formes. FAMILY: Cucvlidai] 



GREAT SPOTTED-CUCKOO [(Hmmitwglanddrius^innxMZ); Coccystes glaiuldriiui (Linnreus). 

 French, coeou-geai ; German, Hdhr-liukuok ; Italian, cuculo dal ciuffo\. 



1. Description. Recognised by its large size and white spotted upper parts. The sexes 

 diner in coloration. Length 16 in. [406 mm.]. Top of the head furnished with a long, full 

 black crest, minutely tipped with white ; back, rump, scapulars, secondaries, and wing-coverts 

 dark ash-brown with a dull greenish bronze lustre, the wing-coverts and scapulars being 

 spotted at the extremity with white ; primaries light chesnut, tipped with white and with a 

 stibmarginal band of dark ash-brown ; tail feathers like the back, broadly tipped with white ; 

 under parts white, washed on the throat with light chesnut. The female is duller in coloration, 

 and has the outer margins of the primary quills uniform in colour with the back, i.e. not 

 chesnut as in the male. [w. p. p. and T. w.] 



2. Distribution. The breeding range of this species is a wide one, for it is known to breed 

 both in North and South Africa, as well as in South Europe and South-west Asia. In Europe 

 it is chiefly confined in the breeding season to Spain and Portugal, though it occurs not 

 uufrequently on passage in Italy, but has not been proved to breed there or in Greece. It breeds 

 in Cyprus, and also from Asia Minor and Palestine east to Persia, and in Africa from Egypt to 

 Marocco in the north through Somaliland to Cape Colony in S. Africa. As a straggler it has 

 been recorded from Bulgaria, Dalmatia, Germany, and four times from the British Isles 

 (two Irish records, one Northumberland and one Norfolk). [F. c. R. j.] 



YELLOWBILLED-CUCKOO [Coccyzus americAniis (Linnaeus)]. 



1. Description. Readily distinguished by its yellow under mandible, its grey upper parts 

 and white belly, and the large area of chesnut on the wings. Sexes alike. Length 11 in. [279 

 mm.]. General colour above brownish grey slightly glossed with olive ; wings like the back, 

 but rich chesnut on the outer web ; the tail, which is long, has the middle pair of feathers like 

 the back, remaining pair black tipped with white, the outer pair having the outer web for the 

 most part white ; under surface of the body white, tinged on the chest with grey ; upper mandible 

 black, lower mandible bright yellow, [w. P. P. and T. w.] 



2. Distribution. Breeds in southern North America, and migrates through the West 

 Indies and Central America to South America. Has occurred about twelve times in the 

 British Isles (chiefly in the south-western counties of England and Wales, one Scotland and 

 two Ireland), and also in Italy, Belgium, and France. [F. c. R. j.] 



1 Vol. ii. j>. 458. 



