INSESSORES. CULCULID^. 395 



an angular form, stretching from the exterior margin 

 of each wing. Wings having the greater quills black, 

 with a bar of white within about an inch of their tips. 

 The two inner secondaries and tertials barred with 

 black and white. Tail black, with a large V-shaped 

 white mesial bar ; abdomen white ; the flanks having a 

 few longitudinal brown streaks. Legs grey, tinged with 

 broccoli- brown. 

 The Female differs in having the crest shorter, and the 

 tints of her plumage not so bright as those of the Male 

 bird. 



Family IV. CULCULIDJE. 



The Culculidae, which form the fourth family of the Scan- 

 sorial tribe, is typified by the genus Cuculus, as now re- 

 stricted, containing only such species as agree in characters 

 and habits with our well known summer visitant, the Com- 

 mon Cuckoo. By the earlier writers a great variety of birds, 

 connected no doubt by direct affinity, but differing in parts 

 of their organization, as well as in their economy, were all 

 included under the same generic title Cuculus ; thus forming 

 an extremely artificial group. The most striking of these 

 have since been separated, and made the types of new genera ; 

 but much still remains to be done in tracing out the affinities, 

 and determining the precise situation in which other aber- 

 rant species should stand. The following are some of the 

 genera already established, viz. Coccyzus (Vieill.), nearly 

 allied to the true Cuckoos in form of bill and general ap- 

 pearance, but differing in economy, and confined to the New 

 World ; Indicator (Vieill.), containing the Honey-guide, 

 with a short, strong, depressed bill, and natives of Southern 

 Africa ; Centropus (Illig.), also African, distinguished by 

 a strong and arched bill, harsh plumage, and the inner hind 

 toe armed with a long, straight, subulated claw ; Phanico- 



