CUCULIN^. 321 



That their migratory habits, as suggested by Jenner, have any- 

 thing whatever to do with it, is contradicted by the fact of the 

 existence of many non-migratory Cuckoos (the common Indian 

 Koel for instance) being equally parasitic. 



Many individuals of the English Cuckoo leave the country at 

 once, after laying their eggs ; others, it is said, have been seen to 

 remain near, and entice the young ones away as soon as flown. 



The true Cuckoos do not appear to pair, many males being 

 often seen pursuing a female ; their intercourse being thus 

 promiscuous. 



Gen. CucuLUS, Lin. (in part.) 



Char. — Bill rather small, broadish at the base, compressed 

 moderately beyond, gently curved, and the culmen convex ; tip 

 obsoletely notched ; nostrils basal, circular, with a raised tumid 

 margin ; wings long, pointed ; the 3rd quill usually longest ; 2nd and 

 4th nearly equal ; tail lengthened, rounded ; tarsus very short, 

 feathered posteriorly, with transverse scutaa in front ; feet slender, 

 short ; feathers. of the rump and upper tail-coverts long, thick-set 

 and rigid. 



The plumage of the Cuckoos is generally rather firm, and 

 often Hawk-like ; their orbits and gape are yellow ; their food 

 consists chiefly of caterpillars ; and their voice is loud and mellow. 

 The Cuckoos proper constitute a group of very closely allied 

 species, which, from the resemblance of their colors and markings, 

 are more or less difficult to distinguish. They are almost all grey 

 above, and more less or banded beneath, the tail having white spots. 

 I believe that none of the Indian species migrate entirely from 

 India; but they wander about a good deal at different times, all the 

 true Cuckoos breeding in the hills, some of them perhaps also in 

 the plains. After the breeding is over, they appear to scatter 

 themselves about over the whole country, one or two only restrict- 

 ing their range to the limits of the Himalayan forest. 



The Cuckoos may be divided into two minor groups; one 

 containing the European Cuckoo and its affines ; the other, one or 

 two species which approximate the Hawk-cuckoos. 



The first have the tail graduated, the 3rd primary longest, and 

 ho 4th equal to the 2nd, or a trifle longer ; the markings arc always 



2 s 



