THE AMERICAN CUCKOO. 161 



Sparrniau's account confirmed Description. 



hid from all but these two great men, and I most 

 willingly leave it among the catalogue of their 

 particular discoveries." 



However, Mr. Barrow, (who in the years 1797 

 and 1 798 travelled into the interior of the south- 

 ern extremity of Africa) fully confirms the truth, 

 of Dr. Sparrman's account. " Every one in thafc 

 country," says this gentleman, " is too well ac- 

 quainted with the moroc to have any doubts a$ 

 to the certainty either respecting the bird or it? 

 information of the repositories of the bees." He 

 tells us further, that it indicates to the inhabi- 

 tants with equal certainty the dens of lions, 

 tigers, hyenas, and other beasts of prey and nox- 

 ious animals. M. Le Vaillaint says, that thx; 

 Hottentots are very partial to the moroc on ac- 

 count of the service it renders them; and that 

 once, when he was about to shoot one, they im- 

 plored him to spare his life in consideration of^ 

 .its utility. 



THE AMERICAN CUCKOO. 



THIS is about the size of a blackbird; the 

 upper mandible of the bill black, the lower yel- 

 low ; the large wing-feathers are reddish ; the 

 rest of the wing, and all the upper part of the 

 body, head and neck, is of an ash colour-, all the 

 under part of the body, from the bill to the tail, 

 the tail long and narrow, composed *i' 



