370 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVII. 



Hodgson's Cuckoo is a bird of the north-eastern portion of India, only 

 being found east from Nepal through the Himalayas and the adjoining- 

 plains of Assam, Gachar and Sylhet, through Manipur and Burmah 

 to the extreme south where it meets the similar form called fugax 

 which may be known by its larger bill. 



Its ordinary note is a rather shrill copy of that of sparverioides and 

 varius, but it is not incessantly repeated, and does not ascend or descend 

 in scale as does the cry of both of those birds. It is very wild and shy, 

 and until one learns what its cry is like, and gets used to the flight and 

 habits of the bird, it gives one the idea that it is very rare. It is 

 during the breeding season rather a skulker amongst brushwood and 

 secondary scrub-jungle, doubtless when thus employed looking for the 

 nest of some bird in which to lay its egg. It is always silent when 

 thus employed, and it is only when perched high up in some lofty tree 

 or, occasionally, on the wing that it gives vent to its call. 

 Hibeocoocyx nanus. (Hume.) 

 The Small Hawk- Cuckoo. 



Hierococcyx nanus. Hume, S. F., V, p. 490 ; id., Cat. No. 205 

 bis. ; Hume and Davis, S. F., VI, pp. 157, 502 ; Oates, B. of Burm., II, 

 p. 110 ; Shelly, Cat. Birds B. M., XIX, p. 239 ; Bianford, Fauna B. 

 I., Ill, p. 215. 



Nothing is known so far of the oology of this cuckoo. It is a bird 

 very little known : indeed it is possible that even now we do not know 

 its adult plumage. It has only entered the limits of India in the 

 extreme South of Burmah and Tennasserim, and it is also known from 

 Selangor and Northern Borneo. 



Genus Cacomantis. 



The genus Cacomantis contains, as far as India is concerned, two 

 species of cuckoo, much like, in general appearance, the genus Cuculus, 

 but very small, the wing measuring under 5 inches, whereas none of the 

 birds hitherto dealt with have wings as small as 5^. 



The two species may be separated from one another by these keys : — 



A. Adults having upper parts ashy. 



a. Abdomen grey or white ■ passermus. 



b. Abdomen rufous , merulinus, 



B. The young with upper parts brown and rufous. 



c. Crown and rump with practically no bars passerimis, 



d. Whole upper surface barred merulinus. 



