590 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON THE CUCULID.E [Juiiel7, 



(Monteiro); Loanda (Toulson). S.Africa: Cape Colony (Layard); 

 Knysna (Victorin) ; Natal (Ayres). 



With regard to' the bird described as the female I am following 

 the usual information of collectors ; but I am by no means certain 

 that the sexes of these Golden Cuckoos are really different from each 

 other, and I believe that the bird usually supposed to be the female 

 is really the young. If the sexes do differ in plumage, it is an ab- 

 normality in the family, which would give additional weight to the 

 generic separation of Chrysococcyx from Cuculus. The tiny nest- 

 ling of the present species is in my collection from Cameroons, and 

 indicates the colours of the full-grown young bird very successfully. 

 Another one, a little older, has white bars on the head ; but this 

 seems either an individual or sexual peculiarity, as it is also visible 

 in another full-grown young example. The first metallic plumage, 

 though complete, seems to be more bronzy in appearance than the 

 fully plumaged bird ; and in this stage it was figured by Shaw in the 

 * Museum Leverianum,' and thence named by Mr. Gray G. splen- 

 didus. In this first green dress remains of immaturity often appear, 

 especially in tbe primaries, which are notched with white on the 

 inner web, becoming gradually entirely white as the bird grow T s older. 

 Thus it often happens that a specimen apparently quite old may 

 still be proved to have not long quitted the immature dress by these 

 white notches on the first or shortest primary. 



Gray's title of splendidus, though founded on the plate above 

 alluded to without any indication of locality, has always been applied to 

 the South- African bird, the distinctive character being the somewhat 

 shorter tail. As will be seen by the accompanying measurements, 

 the difference is so slight in some examples as to render it an un- 

 important character ; and if the "West-African and South-African 

 birds are to be separated, C. intermedins from Gaboon must also be 

 reinstated ; and this would lead to great confusion where the cha- 

 racters are so slight. The plumage does not vary with locality ; 

 therefore it is better to consider that there exists only one species, 

 but that the West-African examples are the finest, those from Gaboon 

 are sometimes rather smaller, while those from South Africa are the 

 least and have the shortest tails. 



Wing. Tail. 



1. 6*-. West Africa. Mus. Brit 4*5 4-8 



2. d • West Africa. Mus. Brit 47 5-0 



3. d. Favitee. Mus. R. B. S 4-5 4"6 



4. d- Fantee. Mus. It. B. S 43 5-2 



5. d- Accra (H aijnes). Mus. R. B. S 4S 4/5 



6. d- R.Gambia. Mus. R. B. S 4-45 4-5 



7. d- Gaboon (W'alker). Mus. R. B. S. . . 4-5 4-4 



8. d- Gaboon {Walker). Mus. B. B. S.. . 4-3 3'8 



9. d . S. Africa (Layard). Mus. R. B. S. . . 4-5 37 



10. d ■ Natal. Mus. Brit 4-2 35 



11. d- Natal. Mus. Brit 4-2 37 



