‘ 
1865.] CUCKOOS OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 465 
Now, having compared the greatly enlarged entrances of those 
from which we have taken Cuckoos’ eggs with the entrances of those 
which did not contain the egg of a Cuckoo, and which we took as 
soon as the bird had laid its full number of eggs for a sitting, I 
cannot but feel convinced more than ever that the eggs of these pa- 
rasites are laid in the nests, and not deposited in any other manner. 
The average width of the entrances of the nests of Acanthiza lineata 
which have not been visited by a Cuckoo is 1 inch, while those 
which have contained Cuckoos’ eggs vary from 2 to 23 inches. In 
addition to the nests of Acanthiza pusilla, we have known this 
Cuckoo (C. cineraceus) deposit its eggs in the nests of 4. reguloides (?) 
and Chthonicola minima. How great is the difference between the 
Cuckoo’s eggs and those of this last bird (Chthonicola minima), 
which are of a bright reddish chocolate ! 
The eggs of Cuculus cineraceus are from 10 to 103 lines in length, 
by 7 to 74 in breadth. The ground-colour is a delicate white,. 
Spotted and dotted with wood-brown, deep brownish lilac, and fair 
lilac dots, which appear beneath the surface. 
Some specimens are faintly sprinkled all over, and the dots have 
a washed-out appearance ; others are marked more strongly, and in 
these the markings formed are in a distinct zone at the larger end, 
which is sometimes broken by a batch of very deep-coloured dots. 
I have seldom met with the eggs of this species in collections 
(although sometimes I have seen those of Cuculus inornatus), whereas 
the eges of Chalcites lucidus are to be found in almost every col- 
lection of egos made in New South Wales. It is curious that one 
variety of the egg of the Chalcites lucidus (var. A) should be so 
different from the eggs of the species in the nests of which it is 
placed, whereas both the other species here mentioned lay eggs very 
similar to those of their foster-parents. 
June 13, 1865. 
Dred. ks. Gray, F.R.S., in the Chair. 
Mr. P. L. Sclater exhibited a photograph of a pair of Gayals 
(Bos frontalis, Lambert), intended for transmission to the Society’s 
Menagerie by Mr. W. Dunn, of Akyab, Corr. Memb. The animals 
were stated to be about half-grown. 
Mr. Sclater also exhibited a drawing of the Paradise-bird lately 
discovered in the Island of Waigiou by Dr. H. A. Bernstein, and 
described by Professor Schlegel as Paradisea calva, and remarked 
that it appeared to be the same as the Paradisea wilsoni, Cassin *, 
* Journ. Acad. Se. Phil. ii. p. 57, pl. 15. 
