b32 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



bands on the longest of the latter ; tail paler brown than the back, 

 crossed with five dark bars ; the subterminal one very broad, and 

 the extreme tip whitish ; the penultimate dark bar narrow ; pri- 

 maries and secondaries obscurely banded on their outer webs with 

 narrow bars of dull pale fulvous, and on their inner Avebs with 

 white internally. 



Bill dusky-brown above, yellowish at the base beneath ; irides 

 pale yellow ; feet bufFy -yellow. 



Length 1 5 inches ; wing 8^ ; tail 8 ; bill at front, |. A young 

 bird is banded with rufous above ; beneath fulvous white, with 

 numerous large blackish mesial streaks. 



This very fine Hawk- cuckoo is found throughout the Hima- 

 layas, and during the cold weather, at all events, on the Neilgherries, 

 It has also been found in Malacca. On the Neilgherries I rarely 

 saw it, except when thejungle wag beaten for Woodcocks, when one 

 of these Cuckoos would occasionally be flushed, and fly off with great 

 rapidity and elegance to a neighbouring wood. I should imagine 

 that it is a permanent resident there, as the birds of the present 

 group are less migratory than those of restricted Cucuhis. At 

 Darjeeling it is chiefly seen, or rather heard, from April to June, and 

 may be heard daily calling all round the Station. Its call is very 

 similar to that of its near congener, H. variiis, so much so that, on 

 hearing it first at Darjeeling, I concluded that that species was also 

 found on the hills. On shooting one in the act of calling, I was 

 surprized to find it to be my old Neilgherry acquaintance. I found 

 that caterpillars had formed its entire food. 



Gen. POLTPHASIA, Blyth. 



Syn. Cacomantis, Miiller (in part). 



Of small size. Plumage variable, grey or dusky above ; lower 

 plumage not barred in the normal adult state ; the tarsi less plumed 

 externally than in Cuculus. 



This group consist of several small species, found in India and 

 ]\Ialayana, extending to Australia ; and perhaps C. rubeculus, Sw., 

 and Cue. nigricans, Sw.,- placed by some in Surnicidus, belong rather 

 to the present genus. 



