202 



Div. 1. VERTEBRATE ANIMALS.— AYES. 



Class 2. 



l-'it^. 101. — Sternum of Cuckoo. 



took flight]. IIerisl^allt attril)ute(l the phenomenon to the position of the gizzard, which in fact is 

 placed turther Ijackwanl in the abdomen, and is less protected hy the sternum (fii^. 101) than that of 

 other birds [in general, but not of the ^h)tll-h^nre^s, wliich the Cuckoos closely resemUe in their 

 internal aiiutoniy, and particidarly in the singulaily diminutive size of the brain : the young are 

 exceedingly slow in learning to take their own food, and are fed by their foster parents till they have 

 iieaily attained the full growth of their feathers. 



Of various species, all peculiar to the eastern hemisphere,] there is one 

 in Europe, 



The Common Cuckoo (C. cnnonis, Lin.) — Of an ash-grey colour, the 

 belly wliitish, rayed with dusky black across, and tail-feathers laterally 

 spotted with white : the young barred all over with rufous. [It feeds 

 principally on caterpillars, and is sometimes seen to hawk for insects on 

 the wing, also devours cheiries and the smaller fruits. Is well known 

 for its cry, which is common to both sexes, and is sometimes uttered on 

 the win?; as is also another particularly melodious sound, which it 

 generally emits as it takes fiiifht ; it often congregates many together on 

 the same tree, attracted by each others' notes ; but never flies in society, 

 except when migrating-. It does not pair; is particularly shy and re- 

 tiring in disposition, and is often buffeted by the small birds on whose 

 domain it encroaches.] 



Africa [and the islands of the Indian Ocean] produce several small spe-_ 

 cies, the plumage of which is more or less gilded, [or brilliant emerald- 

 green, bronzed, or purple]. Their beak is rather more depressed than 

 in the preceding, [and they compose the Chalcites, Swainson, which, 

 however, are scarcely separable either from structure or habit]. 



A crested, spotted species is occasionally fuund in southern Europe, 

 the cry of which is more sonorous (C (ilandaihis, Eilwards). [This, with 

 various others from Africa, pertains to the distinct group Oxyluphus of Swainson, which, with the following, has 

 longer and naked tarsi.] 



Others inhaliit America [all of which build nests and rear their offspring, constituting the En/ffirop/iiys, Swain- 

 son : these are well known to feed much on the eg-gs of other birds, which it is generally believed the true Cuckoos 

 do also : some of them descend much on the ground, and prey on snails like a Thrush, in addition to berries and 

 caterpillars. The young resemble the adults]< 

 Others again, with generally spotted plumage, have the beak deep vertically. 



Thk Couas (Cocct/zus, Vieillot) — ■ 

 Merely differ from the Cuckoos by their elevated tarsi. They nestle in the holes of trees, and do not: 

 entrust their eggs to the charge of strangers : this is at least true, with respect to those species of 

 which the propagation is known. 



There is one in America that requires to be distinguished, — 



The Lizard-seeker (Saurothera, Vieillot), — 

 Which has a long beak, curved at the tip only, [and feet adapted for running swiftly on the ground, as 

 is the case with the American Cuckoo tribe generally]. 

 It is the Ciicidiis vcfula of Temminck. 



Le Vaillant has already separated, with good reason, 



The Coucals {Cenfropus, Illiger), — 

 Birds of Africa and India, the thumb-nail of which is long and pointed as in the Larks, [and the 

 plumage in general singularly rigid and spinous]. All the known species are natives of the eastern 

 licmisi)hcre, and nestle in the holes of trees, [producing white eggs. They feed chiefly on Grasshop- 

 pers, and run about with celerity among reeds and other herbage, from which they are slow to take 

 wing : their flesh is j)articulaily rank ; and the eyelids are fringed with lashes, as iii most of the 

 Cuckoo tribe which rear tlieir own ofTspring. 

 Tlie species are very numerous, and grade into the true Couas and MalkohasJ. 



The same naturalist has rightly separated 



The Courols {Lepiosomus, Vieillot), — 

 Madagascar birds, the beak of which is thick, pointed, straight, and comoressed, with the tip of the 



