546 C U C K O W. 



iiiky feathers of a fine deep" green : the upper lefier wing coverts 

 the fame : the feathers on the crown lengthened into a creft, which 

 the bird can erect at pleafure ; the tip of this creft is reddifh : on 

 each fide the head is a black ftripe, broadeft in the middle, arifing 

 at the corners of the mouth, pafiing through the eyes to the hind 

 head : above and beneath this, is a narrow line of white : lower 

 part of the back, rump, and upper tail coverts, fcapulars, and greater 

 coverts, are blueifh purple : lower part of the belly, fides, thighs, 

 and under tail coverts, blackifh : greater quills crimfon, with 

 the outer edge and tip margined .with black : tail blueifh purple: 

 legs and claws cinereous. 

 Place. Inhabits various parts of Africa. 



Buffon mentions two fpecies ; the firft from AbyJJinia, and the 

 other from the Cape of Good Hope. The firft has a blackifh creft, 

 hanging behind as a lock; the other has an upright creft of a 

 bright green, with fometimes a mixture of white : the difference 

 in plumage very trivial. One from the Cape, which he faw alive, 

 was/tf/J to feed on rice ; yet, on trial, would by no means fwallow 

 a grain, .it would have famifhed firft; but eat the feeds of grapes 

 greedily, as alto apples and oranges, and lived on fruits for feveral 

 months ; by which it appeared, that fruits are its natural food. — • 

 The progreffive motion of this bird was not by walking, but leap- 

 ing. After moulting, it got the white ftripe above and beneath 

 the eye ; and the creft became all of one green colour. Several 

 of thefe birds have beeji alive in England, of which I have feen 

 one: the defcription as above. The eye appeared uncommonly 

 brilliant, the creft chiefly in an erected ftate; and the bird. 

 very lively. It is faid by Albin to come from Mexico ; but this 

 may be doubted : Edwards exprefsly fays, it comes from Guineas 

 and all which I have feen have been from that quarter. 



2 Genus 



