CUCULINiEo 331 



Centre of each feather ; these are most conspicuous on the flanks, 

 and the tibial feathers have the usual transverse bars ; under tail- 

 coverts pure white ; the tail differs conspicuously in its dark bars, 

 which are much more pronounced, and want the pale or whitish 

 edging, being also less sinuated ; and the terminal band is distinctly 

 and considerably broader, being tipped with pale rufous, and the 

 penultimate bar is also broader and more conspicuous. 



Length rather less than 12 inches ; wing 6| ; tail about 5^ ; the 

 feet are proportionately more feeble in the present being. 



Mr. Blyth, in his valuable paper on the Cuculidce, in treating of 

 Cue. varius, describes this bird from the same specimen in the 

 Mus. As. Soc, Calcutta, and states that if he had seen other ex- 

 amples he would have ranged it as a separate species. He is now 

 convinced of its distinctness ; and, on comparing the two birds 

 together, along with that naturalist, I fully acquiesced in his decision, 

 Horsfield, however, in his Catalogue joins it to C. varius. Nothing 

 is recorded of its habits. The only known specimens have been 

 sent from Nepal. I have no doubt that its call is quite similar in 

 character to that of the common Hawk-cuckoo. 



A fourth species of the present group exists in the Mus. As. 

 Soc, Calcutta, from China, very similar to H. sparverioides but 

 smaller. 



207. Hierococcyx sparverioides, Vigors. 



Cuculus, apud Vigors, P. Z. S. 1831— Gould, Cent. Him„ 

 Birds, pi. 53— HoRSF., Cat. 1020— Blyth, Cat. 338— Jerdon, 

 J. A. S., Xn., 240 — Nimhin-pyeul, Lepch. — Mipiu, Bhot. 



The Large Hawk-cuckoo. 

 Descr. — Crown, occiput, and sides of the upper part of neck, 

 brown, tinged on the sides and front of the lower part of neck, with 

 very dark ashy ; the rest of the upper parts bronzed dark 

 bright ferruginous, with an ashy tinge ; chin ashy ; throat white, 

 streaked with the same, mingled with rufous ; lores also whitish ; 

 under parts from the breast, fulvescent- white, transversely streaked 

 with dusky j vent, and under tail-coverts pure white, with some dark 



