THE ASIATIC CUCKOO. 105 



Length 13 inches, tail 6'4 to 6'8, wing 7'5 to 8'5, tarsus '85, bill 

 from gape 1'3. 



This Cuckoo, when adult, bears a close general resemblance to the 

 European Cuckoo; but may be recognized by its plain brown upper 

 plumage and the broad subterminal tail-bar; the bars of the lower 

 plumage are also broader and less frequent. There is little doubt that 

 C. affinis was described from a large specimen of C. micropterus. 



The Indian Cuckoo is generally distributed over Pegu both on the hills 

 and plains, and is tolerably common. In Tenasserim it appears to be 

 rare, for Mr. Davison did not meet with it often. I can find no record 

 of its occurrence in Arrakan, but it is doubtless abundant in that Division. 



It occurs in the Indo- Burmese countries and the greater part of the 

 peninsula of India with Ceylon. It is also found in China and Cochin 

 China; Lieut. Kelham met with it at Perak and Singapore, and it is 

 recorded from Malacca. It is probably spread over a considerable portion 

 of Central Asia and possibly Siberia, but it is difficult to trace its distri- 

 bution without an examination of specimens. 



The Indian Cuckoo is, I think, a permanent resident in Burmah, for its 

 remarkable call may he heard during the greater part of the year; and in 

 August I once shot a specimen which was obviously a nestling barely able 

 to fly. This bird is very noisy and utters its call of four notes, which 

 resemble the word bho-kutha-kho, from the top of a high tree almost 

 throughout the entire day and late in the evening during the dry weather. 

 It probably lays its eggs, like the other large parasitic Cuckoos, in the 

 nests of the Timeliine birds. 



490. CUCULUS STBIATUS. 

 THE ASIATIC CUCKOO. 



Cuculus striatus, Di-ap. Diet. Class. a" Hist. Nat. iv. p. 570 ; Swinhoe, P. Z. S. 

 1871, p. 395; Hume, S. F. ii. p. 190; id. Nests and Eyys, p. 134; Bl. />'. linnn. 

 p. 79; David et Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 65; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi. p. 15U; Hit me, 

 S. F. viii. p. 88 ; Scully, S. F. viii. p. 2oo ; Hume, S. F. ix. p. 315 (note) ; O,//v. s 

 S. F. x. p. 193. Cuculus himalayanus, Vigors, P. Z. S. 1831, p. 172 ; Jerd. 

 S. Ind. i. p. 323 ; Seebohm, Ibis, 1878, p. 326. 



Description. The whole upper plumage dark bluish ashy, browner on 

 the wings ; the inner webs of the quills barred with white; tail dark ashy 

 brown, with large white shaft-spots, which turn to bars on the outer 

 feathers, and with a subterminal dark bar; sides of the head like the 

 crown ; chin and throat pale ashy ; breast ashy, barred with rufous and 



