THE OOLOGY OF INDIAN PARASITIC CUCKOOS. 83 



either its own or some other birds'. He writes (Oates' Nests and Eggs, 

 II, p. 381) :— " When the young bird is old enough to leave the nest, the 

 foster-parents feed it no longer, and it is then supplied by the old cuckoo, 

 or, at all events, by one of its own species. This I have myself repeat- 

 edly witnessed . . At Jeeripanee, below Mussooree, I have seen 

 the young cuckoo sitting for hours together on a branch waiting for 

 the return of the adult which continued every now and tl^en to bring 

 supplies of caterpillars wherewith to satisfy the apparently insatiable 

 appetite of the nestling until at last both would fly off to another spot. 

 To satisfy myself that it was really this cuckoo that fed the young, I 

 shot one in the very act." 



Capt. Hutton seems to consider it probable that it is the usual thing 

 for the parent cuckoos to return to feed their young, but the experience 

 of a great number of observers has undoubtedly proved that such is not 

 the case. The return of the cuckoo to its duties must be quite excep- 

 tional, though Capt. Hutton appears to have been very fortunate in 

 coming across these exceptions. 



The Himalayan cuckoo may be found during the breeding season 

 throughout the Himalayas and, possibly, in the Hills of the Chota Nag- 

 pur District. South of this, it is not found, as far as records go at pre- 

 sent in India proper, but it extends right through Burmah, and prob- 

 ably breeds wherever there are hills of any size. From Burmah it 

 extends southwards and eastwards throughout the Malay Peninsula, 

 Borneo and again to New Guinea and even Australia. In this portion 

 of its habitat it seems to be more or less resident and remains to breed 

 oven in the plains. I have had eggs sent me from Borneo and Java 

 under the names of other cuckoos which I very strongly suspect to be 

 of this cuckoo. 



Its cry is a four-syllable one of four deep whistles or hoots, very 

 much like that of the hoopoe, but rather higher in tone. It is a pleasant 

 musiGal call. Jerdon says that prior to these four notes it gives 

 higher whistle which cannot be heard unless one is very close by. This 

 note I have seldom heard until this year, when I found the bird very 

 common on the North bank of the Brahmapootra in this district. I 

 was repeatedly able to stand within a few yards of the calling bird, and 

 then heard the preliminary high note quite distinctly. 



{To be continued.) 



