54 



EGYPTIAN COUCAL. 

 (Polophilus ^gyptius.) 



* * h f 



P. cauda cuneiformi, corpore viridi-fusco, subtus rufo-albo> capite 

 cervice caudaque viridi-chalybeis, alis rufis. 



Coucal with a wedge-shaped tail ; body dull green, beneath red- 

 dish white ; head, back of the neck and tail of a beautiful 

 green; wings red. 



Cuculus JEgyptius. Gmel. Syst. Nat. 1 . 420. Lath. Ind. Orn. 

 1. 213. 17. 



Houhou d'Egypt. Huff. Hist. Nat. Ois. 6. 367. 



Coucou des Philippines. Buff. Hist. Nat. Ois. 6. 869. Buff. 

 PI. Enl. 824. 



Egyptian Cuckow. Lath. Syn. 2. 522. 16. 



BEAK black, an inch and a quarter in length : 

 irides bright red : head and hind part of the neck 

 dull green, with a beautiful gloss, resembling po- 

 lished steel : upper wing-coverts rufous, inclining 

 to green: quills rufous, terminated with shining 

 green, except the three last, which are entirely of 

 the latter colour, and the two or three preceding 

 them, which are of a mixed colour : back brown, 

 with a green tinge : rump and upper tail-coverts, 

 brown : tail eight inches long, and wedge-shaped, 

 of a beautiful shining green : throat, and under 

 parts of the body, rufous white, palest on the belly : 

 legs blackish ; inner hind claw very long. 



Buffon mentions a variety which differs merely 

 in having the wings rufous : it may possibly be the 

 male. 



Common in the Delta in Egypt, where it is 



