474 HIEROCOCC YXCOCC YZUS 



build its own nest of sticks without lining. Its eggs are 

 described as being white, slightly speckled, measuring 1*39 

 by 1-05. 



The note of this bird is described as being a loud melodious 

 call, chuck-dot-dot, and also one resembling the cough of a 

 human being. 



676. HODGSON'S HAWK-CUCKOO. 

 HIEROCOCCYX FUGAX. 



Hierococcyx fugax (Horsfield), Tr. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 178 (1821) ; Shelley, 

 Cat. B. Br. Mus. xix. p. 236 ; H. nisicolor (Hodgs.), Icon. Ined. in 

 Brit. Mus. : Passeres, pi. 357, fig. 1 ;i(Blyth), J.A.Soc. Beng. 1843, 

 p. 943 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iii. p. 214 ; H. liyperythrus 

 (Gould), P.Z.S. 1856, p. 96 ; (id.) B. of Asia, vi. pi. 43 ; Seebohm, 

 B. Jap. Emp. p. 171 ; H. sparveroides, (nee. Vigors) ; Schrenck, Reis. 

 im Amurl. Vog. p. 257, pi. 10. 



Ding-pit, Lepcha. ; Jiu-ichi, Ji-shin-cJw, Jap. 



ad. (Burma). Differs from H. spar^eroides in being smaller, in 

 having the upper parts all slaty grey, the tail barred like that species but 

 conspicuously tipped with rufous ; under parts striped, not barred. Upper 

 mandible horny black, lower mandible and around nostrils pale green ; 

 gape greenish yellow; legs and eyelids bright yellow; iris orange-red. 

 Culmen 0'88, wing 7'5, tail 5'55, tarsus 0*8 inch. According to Blakiston 

 and Pryor the female has the breast uniform reddish brown without 

 stripes. The young bird differs from that of H. sparoeroides in having 

 the stripes on the under parts narrower and more clearly denned. 



Hal. South-east Siberia, Japan, China, Burma ; the Hima- 

 layas west to Nepal ; Assam, south to the Malay Archipelago. 



In habits it resembles H. sparveroides, and its note is described 

 asjiit-ichi quickly reiterated. Nothing is known respecting its 

 breeding habits except that an egg extracted from the oviduct 

 of the bird was uniform olive brown, with a darker zone round 

 the larger end, and measured 0'89 by 0'64. Mr. Owston of 

 Yokohama states, however, that the egg of this Cuckoo is 

 blue. 



COCCYZUS, Vieill., 1816. 



677. YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. 



COCCYZUS AMERICANUS. 



Coccyzus americanus (Linn.), Syst. Nat. i. p. 170 (1766) ; Gould, B. of E. 

 iii. pi. 242 ; Audubon, B. of Am. iv. pi. 275 ; Newton, ii. p. 415 ; 

 Dresser, v. p. 227, pi. 301, fig. 2 ; Shelley, Cat. ;B. Br. Mus. xix. 

 p. 308 ; Saunders, p. 290 ; Lilford, ii. p. 28, pi. 12. 



