250 BIRDS. ZYGODACTYLI. 



with light red or white; wings and tail reddish, the interior 

 hinder claw long and straight. 11 inches long. Inhabits Africa. 

 Shaw, ix. pi. 8. 



C. gigas, Cuv. Wing-coverts and back brownish red, the shafts pale 

 red, and the feathers bordered with brownish black ; under part 

 of the body reddish, bordered with sooty black ; tail tipped with 

 whitish. 30 inches long. Inhabits Africa Shaw, ix. 45. 



C. phasianus, Tern. Back and wings varied with rufous yellow, 

 brown and black ; bill, head, neck, and under parts blackish ; tail 

 long, black, with transverse bands. 17 inches long. Inhabits 

 New Holland Shaw, ix. pi. 11. 



Gen. 6. PH<ENICOPHATJS, Vieill. Cuculus, Gmel. 



Bill longer than the head, strong, thick, rounded, smooth, ar- 

 cuated, the base with divergent bristles ; nostrils lateral, li- 

 near, distant from the base ; orbits naked, papillated ; tarsus 

 longer than the external toe ; wings short. 



P. pyrrhocephalus, Tern. The Malkoha. Crown and part of the 

 cheeks bright crimson, surrounded by a band of white ; hind part 

 of the head and neck black, with white spots ; front of the neck, 

 back, and wings black ; tail very long, wedge-shaped, tip white ; 

 breast and belly white ; legs pale blue. 16 inches long. Inha- 

 bits Ceylon. Shaw, ix. 59. 



P. leucogaster, Steph. Plumage greenish-black, with the belly and 

 tail-feathers margined with white ; throat and neck dull green ; 

 head round the eyes orange. 9 inches long. Inhabits Africa. 

 Shaw, ix. pi. 14. 



Gen. 7. LEPTOSOMUS, Vieill. Cuculus, Lin. 



Bill almost triangular, laterally compressed, with prominent 

 ridge; upper mandible a little bent, the lower straight; nostrils 

 in the middle of the bill, half shut by an elongation of the cor- 

 neous matter ; tarsus broad, depressed, covered with rough 

 scales ; wings long, the fourth quill longest ; tail long, equal. 



L. afer, Tern. Body beneath and forehead whitish, top of the head 

 and neck behind black ; wing-coverts green, with red margins ; 

 tail blue-black. 15 inches long. Inhabits Africa. The only species 

 of the genus. Shaw, ix. 25. 



Gen. 8. SCYTHROPS, Lath. 



Bill long, convex above, laterally compressed, curved at the 

 tip, the upper mandible longitudinally grooved ; nostrils ba- 

 sal, naked, rounded ; orbits naked ; tarsus shorter than the 

 middle toe, the two exterior toes joined at the base ; tail long, 

 rounded. 



S. Novce Hollandice, Tern. Plumage lead-coloured, with the tail- 

 feathers barred black and white. 17 inches long; bill four in- 



