204 CTTCULIILE. 



Subfamily CUCULIN^E. 



This comprises the true Cuckoos, almost all of which have 

 parasitic breeding-habits. The most marked external characters 

 are that the tarsus is more or less feathered in front (least in 

 Ooccystes, which, however, may be easily recognized by being 

 crested) and that the wing is more or less pointed. The tail 

 (except in Coccystes) scarcely exceeds or does not exceed the wing 

 in length. The plumage is firm but not spiny. 



Other characters of this subfamily are the absence of an 

 accessory femoro-caudal muscle (Garrod, P. Z. S. 1874, p. 141), 

 and the simple undivided band of feathers on each side of the 

 naked pectoro-ventral tract (Beddard, P. Z. S. 1885, p. 174). 



It is possible that Coccystes may prove, when the anatomy and 

 pterylosis are examined, to belong to the Phcenicophaince. It and 

 Eudynamis are in some respects intermediate between the typical 

 forms of the two subfamilies. 



Key to the Genera. 



a. No crest. 



a'. Secondaries in closed wing- scarcely 



exceeding half length of primaries .... CUCULUS, p. 204. 

 b' '. Secondaries two-thirds length of primaries 



or more. 

 a". Tail rounded and graduated. 



a 3 . Larger : plumage hawk-like ; tail 



with 3*or 4 black cross-bands . . HIEROCOCCYX, p. 211. 

 b 3 . Smaller, not larger than a Thrush ; 

 tail without cross-bands or with 

 far more than 4. 

 4 . Plumage without metallic 



colours. 



a 5 . Young and adult differently 

 coloured ; bill compressed ; 

 tail-feathers the same length 



throughout CACOMANTIS, p. 216. 



ft 5 . Young and adult similar; bill 

 stout, not compressed ; tail- 

 feathers narrower behind .... PENTHOCERYX, p. 219, 

 b 4 . Plumage partly metallic green or 



violet. CHRYSOCOCCYX, p. 220. 



b". Tail square or forked ; plumage 



black SURNICULUS, p. 223. 



b. Head crested ; tarsi almost naked COCCYSTES, p. 224. 



Genus CUCULUS, Linn., 1766. 



Wing long and pointed, third quill longest and exceeding the 

 secondaries in the closed wing by almost half the length of the 

 wing. The first primary is about two-thirds the length of the 

 wing. Tail shorter than wing, graduated, the outer feathers 

 falling short of the middle pair by one-fourth to one-third the 



