98 BIRD GALLERY. 



Order XXVII. CUCULIFORMES. Cuckoo-tribe. 



The birds comprising this Order form a fairly well-marked group, and 

 are divided into two families, the CuculidcB or Cuckoos, and the Muso- 

 phagid<s or Turacos. In the former the foot is of the true zygodactylous 

 type, with the first and fourth toes turned backwards and the second 

 and third forwards; but in the Turacos the fourth toe is less completely 

 reversed, and we find what is known as a semi-zygodactylous type, 

 similar to that seen in the Madagascar'Rollers. 



Family I. Cuculid^. Cuckoos. (Plate XXI. fig. 1.) 



rCaae 64.1 The Cuculida are a cosmopolitan family, feeding on insects and 

 fruits, and specially interesting on account of the peculiar parasitic 

 habits of many of the species, which impose the burden of hatching 

 their eggs and rearing their young on other birds. One or more eggs 

 are placed in the nest of some suitable foster-mother, whose own young 

 are subsequently ejected by the young Cuckoo. Many Cuckoos, 

 however, are not parasitic, but build their own nests and rear their 

 young in the ordinary manner. 



Six subfamilies are recognised ; the first, including the true Cuckoos 

 {Cuculina), are hawk-like birds and our common Cuckoo [Cuculus 

 canorus) (1385) [PI. XXI. fig. 1], from whose note the family derives 

 its name, is the type. It is a summer-visitor to Great Britain, 

 Europe, and Asia, migrating southwards in winter as far as Australia 

 and South Africa. The female deposits her egg on the ground, and 

 conveys it in her bill to the nest of the foster-parent, the latter being 

 generally some insectivorous bird such as a Pipit, Wagtail, or Warbler, 

 etc. The eggs laid by different individuals differ greatly in colour, 

 and often resemble those of the host ; the most remarkable type of 

 egg is blue, and generally found in nests of the Redstart, when it is 

 only to be distinguished by its greater size. The large Hawk-Cuckoo 

 {Hierococcyx sparverioides) (1384) of the Himalaya and Eastern Asia 

 closely resembles in appearance and flight a species of Sparrow- Hawk 

 [Accipiler virgatus) found in the same countries. This resemblance is 

 quite unexplained ; but, as it is sufiicient to cause great alarm to small 

 birds in general, is possibly connected with the breeding-habits. 

 Another well-known member is the so-called " Brain-fever-Bird '^ 

 {Cacomantis merulinus) (1386). 



A well-known European and African species is the Great Spotted 

 Cuckoo {Coccystes glandarius) (1382), a rare straggler to Great Britain. 

 The host selected by this bird is usually a Magpie or Crow, and from 

 four to eight eggs have been found in one nest. The Drongo-Cuckoos 

 [Surniculus) (1383) are small black species closely resembling the 



