220 



white; rump and upper tail-coverts dull brown, with a greyish tinge, here and there marked with 

 white ; tail much graduated, blackish brown, all except the two central rectrices broadly terminated 

 with white ; sides of the face similarly coloured to the crown ; underparts white, on the breast and 

 throat faintly tinged with isabelline, and the feathers on those parts having black shafts ; bill blackish 

 horn, under mandible yellowish at the base; legs and feet dull lead-colour; iris dull brown. Total 

 length 16 inches, culmen 1-05, wing 8-2, tail 95, tarsus 1-30. 



Young Male (Second Cataract of the Nile, February) . Sides and top of the head and nape blackish brown, 

 back, scapulars, wing-coverts, rump, and tail as in the adult bird, but darker ; first primary dull brown, 

 second brown on the outer web, remaining primaries with the second on the inner web rich rusty red, 

 except towards the tip, where they are brown, finally tipped with white ; secondaries as in the old bird ; 

 underparts white, on the throat and breast washed with rusty yellow ; soft parts as in the adult bird. 



Female. Similar to the male. 



The present species inhabits South-western Europe (being but rarely met with in Southern and 

 Eastern Europe), and Northern Africa, where it is common. 



It has straggled as far north as Ireland, where it has once occurred. Thompson (B. of Irel. 

 i. p. 364) gives the following information respecting the capture of this specimen, being the copy 

 of a letter from A. Crichton, Esq., of Clifden, Connemara: — "The Cuckoo, pursued by Hawks, 

 was taken by two persons, walking on the island of Omagh. It flew into a hole in a stone fence 

 or wall, was caught alive, and lived for four days on potatoes and water. The inhabitants of 

 this country had never seen any bird like it before ; and as they are constantly in the habit of 

 fishing at Bonn and Arran Islands, if the bird were to be met with, no doubt they would have 

 recognized it. The bird when chased by the Hawks, appeared fatigued, weak, and emaciated, as 

 though it had taken a long flight, as Woodcocks and other birds of passage do on first arrival. 

 The month of March, 1842, is said to have been the time of its capture. On being sent to 

 Dublin to be preserved, an excellent coloured drawing of it, the size of life, was kindly made by 

 Miss Battersby, and forwarded for my acceptance : the plumage represented agrees best with 

 that of the adult bird, as described by Temminck. The specimen has subsequently been obtained 

 by Mr. Ball for the museum of Trinity College, Dublin. It is the only one known to have 

 visited the British Islands." Since the above was written another specimen, however, has been 

 obtained in the north of England, near Chiltrim Farmhouse, North Tyne, August 5th, 1870, as 

 recorded in 'The Field,' September 3rd, 1870, and in Harting's 'Handbook of British Birds,' 

 p. 123. Messrs. Degland and Gerbe do not cite any instance of its capture in Northern or 

 Central France; and even in Provence it occurs very rarely, being generally met with in the 

 spring; MM. Jaubert and Barthelemy-Lapommeraye record one specimen from Peyrelles, near 

 Montpellier ; and Crespon includes it amongst the rarer visitants to the Gard ; Dr. Companyo 

 records it as of occasional and very rare occurrence in the neighbourhood of Perpignan. In 

 Portugal, according to Professor Barboza du Bocage, it is very rare ; and Dr. E. Bey writes that 

 during the time he was in Portugal he never heard or saw this bird, but had its eggs sent to him 

 with those of Cyanopica cooJd, and one was found in the empty nest of that species. In Spain it 

 is common. I met with it near Ai'anjuez and Madrid ; and Lord Lilford has a large series of 

 specimens obtained in Spain. Mr. Howard Saunders says that it is more numerous at Aranjuez 



