126 BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 



Subfamily CENTEOPIN^E. 



Genus CENTEOCOCCYX, Gab. et Hem. 



509. CENTEOCOCCYX INTEEMEDIUS. 



THE BURMESE COUCAL. 



Centrococcyx intermedius, Hume, S. F. i. p. 454 ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi. p. 168 ; 

 Hume, S. F. viii. p. 89 ; Bingliam, S. F. ix. p. 169. Centropus rufipennis, 

 apud BL 8f Wold. B. Burm. p. 81. Centropus eurycercus, apud Wald. in 

 Bl. B. Burm. p. 82. Centrococcyx eurycercus, apud Hume, S. F. iii. 

 p. 83 ; Armstrong, S. F. iv. p. 312. Centropus intermedius, Oates, S. F. v. 

 p. 145. 



Description. Male and female. Whole head, neck, upper back and 

 the entire lower surface black, glossed with purple and lilac ; the shafts 

 rigid and shiny; the scapulars, the middle portion of the back, the 

 wings and coverts bright chestnut; lower back and rump black glossed 

 with purple, the feathers soft and decomposed ; upper tail-coverts glossy 

 black, the feathers firm ; under wing -coverts black, barred with rufous : 

 the bars appear to disappear with age. 



The young bird from the nest has the head above and mantle dark brown, 

 with spots of pale rufous on the head turning to bars on the mantle ; sides 

 of the head and neck and the whole lower plumage brown, closely barred 

 with greyish white ; wings and coverts dark greenish brown broadly barred 

 with chestnut ; middle of the back brown, barred with chestnut ; lower 

 back and rump brown ; upper tail-coverts dark brown, barred with white ; 

 tail greenish brown, irregularly barred with whitish ; under wing-coverts 

 brown, barred with white. In December the bars on the head and mantle 

 disappear, and a purple gloss makes its appearance; the wing-coverts, 

 scapulars, middle back and most of the primaries, not all, change to a 

 dull uniform chestnut ; some of the tail-feathers change to greenish black ; 

 on the lower plumage the white bars become indistinct and disappear in 

 places. The adult plumage is completely donned by April. 



Bill black ; iris crimson ; eyelids and gape purpurescent ; mouth flesh- 

 coloured; legs and claws black. 



Length 19 inches, tail 10, wing 7*5, tarsus 2'2, bill from gape 1-8. The 

 female is considerably larger. 



There are four closely allied species of large Coucals in India, Burmah 

 and the Malay peninsula. C. intermedius } C. maocimus, and C. rufipennis 

 have the tail glossed with green, C. eurycercus has it glossed with blue. 

 The first three may be distinguished C. maocimus by its large size, wing 

 9 to 9*5 inches, and red interscapulary region; C. intermedius by its smaller 



