■70 



ON THE OCCURRENCE OP THE FANTAILED 



CUCKOO (CUCULUS FLABELLIFORMIS) IN 



TASMANIA. 



By Col. W. V. Legge, R.A., P.Z.S., M.B.O.TJ. 



(Bead August 10th, 1895.) 



On the 26th ult. (June), while driving to Swansea with 

 Mr. Wragge, a beautiful adult example of Cuculus ftabelli- 

 formis (Pantailed cuckoo) flew across the road near Apsley. 

 The tract of country being passed through was mixed gum, 

 she-oak (Casuarina), and Oyster Bay pine bush, and the cuckoo 

 lodged on a branch by the side of the road, affording us a 

 good view of its plumage. Such a late occurrence of this 

 migrant is worthy of record ; it is not probable that it would 

 winter here, for it is noteworthy that several of our summer 

 visitants have been observed in this sheltered region late on 

 into the winter, and the cuckoo that we saw was probably 

 allured into a prolonged sojourn on the East Coast by the 

 mildness of the climate. Cuculus flabelliformis (Lath.) is an 

 inhabitant of most parts of the continent, ranging from Cape 

 York to Victoria, and thence westward to West Australia, 

 extending far inland beyond the Murray. It usually arrives 

 in this country at the end of September or beginniug of 

 July, and departs again at the end of March and throughout 

 the month of April. I may mention here that Mr. O. Adams, 

 one of our surveyors, saw an example in 1887, at the Piper 

 River, on the 24th July. Whether or not this was an immature 

 bird I am unable to say ; if so, there is no doubt that, like 

 many immature migratory forms, it had remained behind in 

 the country of its birth. 



