364 CUCULHLE. 



THE GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO, 



Cuculus glandarius, Linn. 



Has once been obtained. 



A lettek from A. Crighton, Esq., of Clifden, Connemara, to Mr. 

 R. Ball, gives the following information respecting it : — 



" The cuckoo, pursued by hawks, was taken by two persons, 

 walking on the island of Omagh. It flew into a hole in a- stone 

 fence or wall, was caught alive, and lived for four days on potatoes 

 and water. The inhabitants of this country had never seen any 

 bird like it before, and as they are constantly in the habit of 

 fishing at Bofin and Arran Islands, if the bird were to be met 

 with, no doubt they would have recognised it. The bird when 

 chased by the hawks, appeared fatigued, weak, and emaciated, as 

 though it had taken a long flight, as woodcocks and other birds 

 of passage do on first arrival." The month of March, 1842, is 

 said to have been the time of its capture. On being sent to 

 Dublin to be preserved, an excellent coloured drawing of it, the 

 size of life, was kindly made by Miss Battersby, and forwarded 

 for my acceptance : the plumage represented agrees best with that 

 of the adult bird, as described by Temminck. The specimen has 

 subsequently been obtained by Mr. Ball for the museum of Trinity 

 College, Dublin. It is the only one known to have visited the 

 British Islands. 



According to Temminck (part 3, p. 277), the northern parts of 

 Africa seem to be the chief abode of this bird, which occasionally 

 visits southern Europe — Spain, France (south of), Italy, &c. In 

 Germany also, it has been met with in different instances. 



" Mr. Gould, in his well-known work on the Birds of Europe, 

 says, that the true habitat of this species is the w r ooded districts, 

 skirting the sultry plains of North Africa, but those that pass the 

 Mediterranean, find a congenial climate in Spain and Italy. Op- 

 portunities are still wanting to confirm the most interesting of its 

 habits." * 



* Yarrell, British Birds, vol. ii. p. 202. (2ud edit.) 



