1873.} OF THE ETHIOPIAN REGION. 579 



the African Cuculidce, which seem to me to rest on natural cha- 

 racters, and I therefore divide them into two subfamilies, viz. 

 Cuculince and Phcenicophalnce*. The former have feathered legs 

 and weak feet, but excel in their powerful flight, while the latter are 

 creeping bush-haunting birds, many of them frequenting the ground. 

 They may be divided by the following characters : — 



a. Tarsi feathered anteriorly ; thigh-feathers long, hiding the 



tarsus, as in the birds of prey ; nostrils swollen Cueulinee. 



b, Tarsi robust and naked, or only feathered on the upper 



part ; thigh-feathers ordinary; nostrils not swollen 'Plmnicophaime 



All the birds included by me in the first subfamily have accipi- 

 trine thigh-feathers, and present another point of importance in the 

 swollen nostril, which is sufficiently distinct in the dried skin. I 

 cannot find any character in the genus Chrysococcyx to justify its 

 separation from Cuculus, beyond the metallic plumage : this, how- 

 ever, does not seem to me to be of sufficient importance ; for even on 

 species of true Cuculus a slightly glossy shade is visible, and the 

 glittering dress of the African species is approached by gradual 

 gradations exhibited in the Australian members, which have usually 

 been called Lamprococcyx. 



The Cuculince have the nasal opening surrounded by a swollen 

 membrane, rounded in Cuculus, a little more oval in Coccystes. 

 These differences are, I think, well pronounced ; though it is much 

 to be regretted that collectors are so careless about the preserva- 

 tion of the nostrils of their specimens, thus rendering obsolete a 

 very important element in the classification of birds. In addition to 

 the shape of the nostril, the lanceolate crest of Coccystes is a further 

 distinguishing character. 



Subfam. 1. Cuculince. 



Key to the genera. 



a. Nostrils swollen, rounded ; no crest 1. Cuculus. 



b. Nostrils oval ; a distinct lanceolate occipital crest 2. Coccystes. 



Genus 1. Cuculus. 



Key to the species. 



A. Plumage not conspicuously metallic. 

 a. Breast white, barred with black. 



a'. Upper mandible black, as also the nostrils ; lower 

 mandible yellow. 

 a". Throat and upper breast ashy grey. 



a'". Much larger; above ashy grey, as also the 



wings -. 1. canorus. 



b'". Smaller ; above blackish grey, the wings 



uniform with back „ 2. rochi. 



b". Upper breast ferruginous. 



c'". Throat ashy grey 3. solitarius. 



d'". Throat bright ferruginous, as also the whole 



of the upper breast 4. gaboncnsis. 



* With respect to the Old-World Cuckoos, I see no reason to separate the 

 Centropodhue from the Pluenicophatnce, and I therefore adopt the latter term 

 on the score of priority. 



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