THE OOLOGY OF INDIAN PARASITIC CUCKOOS. 75 



C. poliocephalus (the Small Cuckoo) can always be recognized by its 

 comparatively small size, the wing seldom exceeding 6" and never 

 reaching 6"'5, — a size always exceeded by all three of the other species 

 of Cuculus. 



Cuculus OANORUS (Linn.). 

 The Common Cuckoo. 



Cuculus cariorus. Jerdon, B. of I., I, p. 322; Cock and Marsh, 

 S. F. 5 I, p. 351 ; Adam,, ibid, p. 373; Hume, ibid, IV, p. 288 ; XI, 

 p. 69 ; id., Cat. No. 199 ; Butler, S. F., VII, p, 181; Ball, ibid, p. 206 ; 

 Scully, ibid, VII, p. 253; id., Ibis, 1881, p. 430; Legge, B.of C.,p. 221 ; 

 Oates, B. B., II, p. 103 ; Barnes, B. of Bom., p. 124 ; St. John, Ibis, 

 1889, p. 159; Oates, ibid, p. 355; id., Hume's Nests and Eggs, 2nd Ed., 

 II, p. 379 ; Shelly, Cat. B. M., XIX, p. 245 ; Blanfurd, F. B. I., Ill, 

 p. 205 ; Stuart Baker, Jour., Bom. X. H. Soc, X, p. 365 ; Yerbury, ibid, 

 XI, p. 75 ; Inglis, ibid, p. 476 ; Davidson, ibid, XII, p. 51 ; Butler, 

 ibid, p. 565. 



Within Indian limits the Common Cuckoo breeds freely throughout 

 the Himalayas and Sub-Himalayas, the Burmese Hills, the Hilly Forest 

 Country of Chota Nagpur and the Neilgheries. It also breeds in the 

 plains of Assam at the foot of the Hills and extend some way into the 

 plain districts. Col. McMaster found it in Saugor, Kamptee and Chikal- 

 dor during the breeding season, and at this season also Adam obtained it 

 at Sambhur. 



Kashmir is par excellence the breeding ground in which its eggs are 

 to be taken, and my notes thence are very numerous ; but Col. Battray, 

 Col. Wilson and others have worked the neighbourhood of Mnrree with 

 great success, and it is thence that most of the specimens have come 

 which have passed through my hands. 



From Col. Wilson I have received 4, from Col. Rattray 4 and have 

 seen others from his collection : 3 have been taken by myself, and some 

 20 others have passed through my hands, so that altogether I have notes 

 on about 40 eggs of Cuculus canorus taken in India. 



So tar I have totally failed to obtain a blue egg or to get any notice 

 of an Indian-taken blue egg, about which there was m doubt. As, 

 however, it is accepted by some naturalists now that this bird does some- 

 times lay blue eggs, collectors will still have to take this possibility into 

 consideration Avhenever they may come across a blue cuckoo's egg ; 

 should they do so, the texture of the egg may help them moro than 



