45 



GIGANTIC COUCAL. 

 (Polophilus Gigas.) 



P. supra rubro'brunneus, pennis media pallide ntfescentibus 9 trans- 

 versimjusco-fasciatis ; remigibus rufo-^fusco et ritfo-ftavo alter- 

 natimjasciatis ; rectricibus riifo-cinereis Jiisco-fasciatis albido- 

 terminatis ; subtus riifus nigricantejasciatus. 



Coucal, of a reddish-brown above^ with the middle of the fea- 

 thers pale rufous, transversely barred with brown ; quills al- 

 ternately barred with rufous-brown and rufous-yellow; tail- 

 feathers rufous-grey, barred with brown, and tipped with 

 white; beneath rufous barred with blackish. 



Le Coucal geant. Le Vail. Ois. d'Afriq. 5, 86, pi. 223. 



THIS is tlie largest species of Concal known, 

 being no less than thirty inches in length; the 

 length of the interior hinder claw is two inches. 



It inhabits Africa : the hinder part of the head 

 and neck, the wing-coverts, and the back are of 

 a brownish-red colour, bordering on olive : the 

 shaft of each feather is pale red, the feather itself 

 being banded with brownish-black. The tail- 

 quills are reddish-ash colour, banded with brown- 

 ish-black, and terminated with whitish : the under 

 part of the body is reddish, banded with sooty- 

 black : the beak is brown : the feet and claws 

 blackish. Its economy is unknown. 



