472 CUCULUS COCCYSTES 



gape and legs yellow ; iris rich brown, eyelids greenish plumbeous, the 

 edges deep yellow. Culmen TO, wing 8*1, tail .6'3, tarsus 0'8 inch. The 

 female differs only in having the throat and breast browner. 



Hob. The Himalayas, China, Japan, India, and Ceylon, 

 ranging through the Burmese provinces to Malacca, Java, 

 Sumatra, Borneo south to the Moluccas. It does not appear to 

 occur in Siberia. 



In its general habits it resembles C. canorus, but its call-note 

 is a fine melodious whistle resembling the syllables la-sol -sol-mi, 

 and is only heard during the day. It is extremely wild and 

 shy and frequents the plains and bush-covered low hills. Its 

 eggs appear to be as yet unknown. 



COCCYSTES, Gloger, 1842. 



674. GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO. 



COCCYSTES GLANDARIUS. 



Coccystes glandarius (Linn.), Syst. Nat. i. p. 167 (1766) ; (Naum.) v, 

 p. 237, Taf. 130, figs. 1, 2; (Gould), B. of. E. iii. pi. 241, 

 (id.) B. of Gt. Brit. iii. pi. 69 ; (Hewitson), Ibis, 1859, pi. iu 

 figs. 1, 2 (eggs) ; Newton, ii. p. 408 ; Dresser, v. p. 219, pi. 300 ; 

 Shelley, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xix. p. 212 ; Saunders, p. 289 ; 

 Lilford, ii. p. 23, pi. 11. 



Coucou-geai, French ; Cucu-rabilongo, Portug. ; Cucu real, 

 Span. ; Cticulo Africano, Ital. ; Hther-Kuckuk, German ; Teir el 

 Keber, Moor. 



$ ad. (Spain). Head crested ; crown and nape dull bluish grey, the 

 shafts of the feathers black ; upper parts dull earth-brown, in parts tinged 

 with fulvous, the quills, wing-coverts, and some dorsal feathers tipped with 

 white, the upper tail-coverts greyer and marked with white ; tail much 

 graduated, blackish brown, all but the two middle feathers white at the 

 ends ; under parts white, the breast and throat tinged with isabelline ; 

 bill blackish horn, yellowish at the base below ; legs and feet dull 

 plumbeous ; iris dull brown. Culmen 1*05, wing 8'2, tail 9'5, tarsus T30 

 inch. Sexes alike. The young bird has the head blackish brown, not 

 crested, and the basal two-thirds of the primaries are chestnut-red. 



Hob. South-western and southern Europe, rarer in the east ; 

 an accidental visitant to central Europe and the British Islands ; 

 Africa, as far south as the Cape Colony in winter ; Western 

 Asia as far east as Persia. 



In its general habits it resembles C. canorus, and is quite as 

 wild and shy ; its flight is steady and rather dipping, and its 

 long tail makes it easily recognizable. Its call-note is a loud 



