COMMON CUCKOO. 203 



it is rare. M. Temminck says it is found in Japan ; Dr. 

 Horsfield includes it in his Catalogue of the Birds of 

 Java ; and Pennant, in his Arctic Zoology, says it goes as 

 far east as Kamtschatka. This bird, as might be ex- 

 pected, visits the whole of the European continent, re- 

 maining in Italy from April to September ; it visits Sicily, 

 the Morea, and the Grecian Archipelago, in its way from 

 and to Africa with the Turtle-dove, and is called by a 

 name that signifies Turtle Leader. Mr. Strickland saw 

 the Cuckoo at Smyrna in April, and the Zoological Society 

 have received specimens sent by Messrs. Dickson and Ross, 

 from Erzeroum. According to M. Temminck, the Cuckoo 

 is found in Egypt, and examples received from South 

 Africa, though differing slightly, were considered by Le 

 Yaillant and M. Temminck to be of the same species. 



The adult male Cuckoo has the beak bluish black, ex- 

 cept at the base, where it is pale brown ; the irides yellow ; 

 the head, neck, back, and upper tail-coverts bluish grey ; 

 quill-feathers rather darker, and the broad inner webs 

 barred with white; tail long and graduated, the middle 

 pair of feathers being the longest, and the outside feathers 

 the shortest ; the colour greyish black, tipped with white, 

 and a few white spots on the centre and sides. Chin, 

 neck, and upper part of the breast, ash-grey ; lower part 

 of breast, belly, and under wing-coverts, white, barred 

 transversely with lead grey ; vent, and under tail-coverts, 

 also white, but the dark bars are less numerous ; legs and 

 toes gamboge yellow. 



The whole length is about fourteen inches. From the 

 carpal joint to the end of the wing, eight inches and three- 

 quarters ; the first quill-feather nearly three inches shorter 

 than the second, which is equal to the fourth; the third 

 feather the longest in the wing. 



The female is smaller than the male, and on her first 



