290 GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO. 
this Cuckoo deposits its eggs. It is not known to breed in any 
other part of Europe, though it visits Greece and Southern Russia ; 
in Asia Minor, Palestine, and Northern Persia, however, it occurs in 
summer. It breeds throughout the wooded districts of Northern 
Africa, Egypt, Nubia, and Somali-land; while it wanders to the 
Canaries on its way to South Africa, where it winters. 
In Spain, as already mentioned, it generally selects the Magpie as 
foster-parent, and I have found as many as four of its eggs with six of 
those of that bird, in the same nest, while occasionally a Raven’s or 
Blue-winged Magpie’s is made use of. Mr. E. Lort Phillips, however, 
found eight eggs of this parasitical bird in the same nest with four 
of Corvus affinis, in Somali-land ; in Egypt the Hooded Crow’s nest 
is chosen, and in Algeria the Moorish Magpie’s. The Cuckoo takes 
the egg in her bill, and, after placing it in the nest, often ejects an 
egg of the foster-parent to make room for her own. The egg is pale 
green, streaked and spotted with russet and dull lilac, sometimes 
closely resembling that of the Magpie, but more elliptical as well as 
of a much firmer and smoother texture : measurements 1°2 by ‘96 in. 
A female shot on April 6th had a well-formed egg in her oviduct, but 
early May is the usual time for laying. The food consists of insects. 
The note of the male isa harsh kark-kark ; that of the female durvoo- 
burroo. Col. Irby gives August 7th as the latest date for Spain. 
The adults of both sexes have the crown grey with a long-pointed 
crest ; upper parts greyish-brown with white tips to most of the 
feathers ; tail-feathers, except the central ones, largely tipped with 
white: neck buffish-white ; under parts dull white. Length 15°5 in.; 
wing 8 in. The young bird has a nearly black head and nape, buff 
neck and breast, and chestnut on the upper parts of the primaries. 
An example of the American Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Coccysus 
americanus, was shot in co. Cork in the autumn of 1825 ; another 
near Dublin in 1832; a third in Pembrokeshire, also in the 
autumn of 1832; a fourth near Aberystwith in October 1870; a 
fifth at Lundy Island in October 1874 ; while a sixth was picked up 
dead near Bridport on October 5th 1895. On the Continent, one 
was obtained in Belgium in October 1874, and another near Turin 
in 1883. Admitting that these occurred at the time of migration, 
I cannot believe that they crossed the Atlantic without human 
assistance. The same remark applies to the American Black-billed 
Cuckoo, C. exythropthalmus, a specimen of which was shot near 
Belfast about September 25th 1871; while in Italy one was killed 
near Lucca in 1858. 
