TAPER A. — DROMOCOCCYX. 445 



stvetcliiug along the coast and in the coffee-plantations, being 

 alwMvs in pairs. Its flight is very buoyant, and it moves about in 

 thick bushes with astonishing ease and alertness. It jerks its 

 long tail and simultaneously utters its peculiar whistling note; it 

 also utters its note when rising. Its food consists chiefly o£ 

 insects. Schoinburgk did not observe it nesting. The " Macusis " 

 call it Serimi, and the '" Arekunas '■* Telscli. 



Mr, J. J, Quelch observed this species in Georgetown, and 

 remarks (Timehri (2) v. p. 95) : — "Another common member of 

 this family is the bird known as AVife-.-ick {Diplopterus nccvius). 

 It feeds chieflv on insects, and it will often be noticed catching 

 these on the crround or amono- the bushes.'' 



Genus DROMOCOCCYX Wied. 



Dromococcyx Wied, Beiti'. Xatm-g. Bras. iv. p. 3-31, 1S32. Type 

 D. pliasianeUus (Spis). 



Bill almost straight and not compressed : upper tail-coverts 

 very long, almost reaching to the tip of the tail. 



305. Dromococcyx pavoninus. 



Peacock Cuckoo. 



Dromococcyx pavoninus Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 270, 1871 fAraguav") ; 

 Salvin.Ibis, 1SS6, p. 64 (Eoraima) ; Shelley, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xix. 

 p. 427, 1S91 ; Brabom-ne ct Chubb, B. S. Amer. i. p. 153, no. 149S, 

 1912. 



Adult male. General colour above glossy black or brown, the 

 feathers margined with white on the back, scapulars, and upper 

 wing-coverts, also the short upper tail-coverts; the long upper 

 tail-coverts tipped wiih white, as are also the tail-feathers ; primary- 

 quills somewhat paler on the edges of the outer webs, and a white 

 spot towards the base on the inner webs of the three outer feathers ; 

 liead, throat, and fore-neck nut-brown, inclining to rufous on the 

 nape and white on the middle of the throat ; a buff line from 

 behind the eye extending on to the sides of the nape; remainder 

 of the under surface white with a grevish tinjre on the breast ; 

 lower aspect of the tail-feathers grey, becoming darker towards 

 the tips, which are white. 



Total length 292 mm., culmen 23, wing 135, tail 1G9, tarsus 31. 



The male described was collected on the Bonasika Kiver. 



