322 BIRDS or INDIA, 



transverse, and some adults arc much barred with rufous above, 

 and tinged with the same on the neck and breast. 



199. Cuculus canorus, Linn^us. 



Gould, Birds of Europe, pi. 240— Sykes, Cat. 128 — Jerdon, 

 Cat. 221— Blyth, Cat. 341— Horsf., Cat. 1022— Phu-pJm, in 

 Dehra Doon — Kti-ku-pko, Lepch. — Alhc, Bhot. 



The European Cuckoo. 



Descr. — Adult — Head and upper parts ashy; throat, under side of 

 neck, and upper part of breast, pale ashy ; lower part of breast 

 and belly white, with narrow, transverse, undulating, black lines ; 

 quills dusky, with a faint gloss of green ; inner webs barred wnth 

 oval white spots or incomplete bars ; the two central feathers of 

 the tail blackish, dashed with ashy, and tipped white ; the others 

 black, with white spots on one or both webs, and the tip white ; 

 under tail-coverts white with distinct arrow-shaped markings. 



Bill black, yellowish at the base beneath, and at the gape ; irides 

 yellow ; orbits deeper yellow^ ; legs yellow. Length 14 inches ; 

 extent 26 ; wing 8| to 9 ; tail 7 ; bill at front not -f^ ; tarsus y^^ ; 

 weight 4-|- oz. The wings reach from 1 to 1-|- inches from the 

 end of the tail. 



The female has very generally a tawny-brown tinge on the upper 

 parts ; and the neck and breast of both sexes are often mingled 

 with rufous, having some dusky bars. The young bird is dusky- 

 grey above, with w^hite or ferruginous bars ; beneath white, with 

 the bars close on the neck and breast, distant and narrower on the 

 abdomen ; and irides blue-grey, afterwards brown. They vary 

 considerably m this state of plumage. 



The Common Cuckoo of Europe is found, though rarely, through- 

 out all India. I procured a young specimen in N. Lat. 11° at the 

 Tapoor Pass ; and I have seen it at Hyderabad, Nagpore, Mhow 

 (where very abundant in the rains, frequenting bushes on grassy 

 plains), Saugor, and in Goomsoor. Major Franklin states that it is 

 common in Bengal. Sykes procured it in the Deccan ; Tickell in 

 Chota Nagpore; and I have lately seen and heard it tolerably common 

 at Darjeeling. Blyth has occasionally obtained it near Calcutta, and 



