. CUCULUS. 207 



Bill dusky horn, yellowish at the base and edges ; gape orange- 

 yellow ; iris and legs yellow : the young have the iris brown, and 

 the lower mandible pale green. 



Length about 13; tail 67 to 7'3 ; wing 8 to 9, and occasionally 

 longer ; tarsus -8 ; bill from gape 1*25. 



Distribution. A migratory bird found at one season or another 

 throughout the greater part of the Old World and even in 

 Australia. The Cuckoo, in the months from July to April, may be 

 found in almost any part of India, Ceylon, or Burma, but to the 

 southward is of rare occurrence. It is common throughout the 

 Himalayas and the hills of Afghanistan and Baluchistan in the 

 breeding-season, May and June, but it has been found at the same 

 period, April, May, and June, by several observers, by myself 

 amongst others, in the forest country between Chutia Nagpur and 

 the Grodavari, so that it probably breeds there. Col. McMaster 

 observed it at the same season near Saugor, Kamptee, and Chik- 

 alda, and Mr. Adam at Sambhar. Captain Butler believes that it 

 breeds on Mount Abu. Wardlaw Ramsay found this species 

 common in Kareimee in March, and Gates shot a very young 

 bird in Pegu on August 8th, so it probably breeds in the Burmese 

 hills. 



Habits, fyc. The food of the Cuckoo consists of caterpillars, 

 grubs, worms, and soft-bodied insects. The flight is swift and 

 singularly like that of a Hawk. The bisyllabic call, from which 

 the bird derives its name in many languages, is only heard in the 

 breeding-season, and is peculiar to the male bird. At times the 

 first half of the call is uttered by itself, occasionally a treble note 

 is produced, but both are exceptional. 



The breeding-season, in India, is in May and June, and eggs of 

 this bird have been found in the nests of Pipits (Oreocorys 

 sylvanus and Anthus similis), Bush-Chats (Pratincola caprata, 

 P. maura, Oreicola ferrea), and the Magpie-Robin (Gopsychus 

 saularis). The eggs vary greatly in colour, some are much pinker 

 than others ; the ground-colour varies from white to pink, spotted, 

 streaked, and mottled with brownish or yellowish red and pale 

 purple. The size is about -97 by '72. 



1105. Cuculus saturatus. The Himalayan Cuckoo. 



Cuculus saturatus, Hodgson, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xii, p. 942 (1843) ; 



xv, p. 18 ; Blanf. P. Z. S. 1893, p. 319. 

 Cuculus himalayanus, apud Blyth, Cat. p. 71 ; Horsf. Sf M. Cat. ii, 



p. 704 ; Jerdon, B. I. i, p. 323 ; id. Ibis, 1872, p. 12 ; Biddulph, Ibis, 



1881, p. 50; Marshall, Ibis, 1884, p. 410 ; nee Vigors. 

 Cuculus striatus, apud Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 359 ; Bulger, Ibis, 1869, 



p. 157 ; Hume, S. F. ii, p. 190 ; iv, p. 288 ; xi, p. 70 ; id. Cat. 



no. 200 ; Blyth, Birds Burm. p. 79 ; Hume $ Dav. tf. F. vi, p. 156; 



Scully, S. F. viii, p. 254 ; Davism, S. F. x, p. 359 ; Oates, B. B. 



ii, p. 105 ; id. Ibis, 1889, p. 356 ; nee Drapiez. 

 Cuculus intermedius, apud Shelley, Cat. B. M. xix, p. 252 ; Oates 



in Humes N. # E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 381 ; nee Vahl. 



Tony-ting vyang, Lepcha. 



