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THE


Avicultukal Magazine,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF

THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.


Third Series. — Yol. IX.—No. 11 . — All rights reserved. SEPTEMBER, 1918.



MOUNTED BIRD EXHIBITS OF THE UNITED

STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM AT

WASHINGTON.


By R. W. Shufeldt, M.D., C.M.Z.S.


('Concluded from p. 192.)


One of the largest Cuckoos in the world’s avifauna is the

Giant Cuckoo, also known as the Channel-bill, Storm Bird, Hornbill,

and Toucan. Dr. Leach, of Melbourne, in his ‘ Australian Bird Book,’

says of it that “ it is a northern bird, which very rarely reaches

the southern part of the Continent. Its large bill is characteristic.

Its tail is large and often spread out fan-wise, thus giving a majestic

appearance to the bird. Its call is not pleasing, as it is described by

Gould as a ‘ frightful scream,’ and again as consisting of ‘ awful

notes.’ It lays its eggs sometimes in the nest of a Sparrow Hawk

(not Kestrel), or in the nest of a Magpie, Bell-Magpie ( Strepera ), or

even a Crow. It appears with the first flood-waters, and follows the

rivers from the Gulf of Carpentaria water-shed down to Cooper’s

Creek and Lake Eyre” (pp. Ill, 112).


Mr. Wood’s mounted specimen of this bird, for animation

and naturalness, is quite perfect. The label on the specimen gives

its range as “Australia, New Guinea, to Flores, and Celebes.” If a

second specimen is ever mounted for this Museum, it should be done

with the tail spread in its characteristic manner, as described by

Dr. Leach.*


* [Similarly a figure of the Road-Runner Cuckoo, with tail spread out fanwise, will

be found in ‘ Bird Lore,’ Vol. xvii, No. 1, p. 59. — G. R-]



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