56 "THE CUCKOOS. 



other part of India. This is the Pied-Crested Cuckoo 

 (Coccystes jacobinus), a very handsome bird, much 

 like a magpie in colour, but smaller and slighter in 

 build. The under-parts and a bar across the wings 

 are pure white, all the rest of it is glossy black, and 

 an elegant, pointed crest gives style to its head. It 

 has a loud, clear, excited cry, but is not so addicted 

 to needless reiteration as the last two. The crows 

 appear to be under some misapprehension with re- 

 gard to this bird, and persecute it even more savagely 

 than the Koel. Almost every specimen I have had 

 in my hands has been rescued from an avenging mob 

 of crows when it had no strength to go further. There 

 is no ground, as far as I know, for their hatred, for 

 this species does not interfere with their domestic life, 

 but commits its offspring to the Seven Brothers. 

 The pied youngster grows up as one of the brother- 

 hood, and is treated brotherly, but its wild gypsy 

 nature is stronger than habit and it leaves them as 

 soon as it is able to take care of itself. 



That great, awkward, black bird, with reddish 

 chestnut wings and a long tail, which is known by 

 various nicknames, such as Crow Pheasant, or Jungle 

 Cock, is classed among the Cuckoos, though it does 

 not lay its eggs in the nests of other birds, but makes 

 one for itself and brings up its own family respect- 

 ably. It is the Coucal, Centropits rufipennis. It is 

 hardly a common Bombay bird, but it is very common 

 in the surrounding country and has been seen, I 

 think, within municipal limits. 



