284 BIED-PAEASITES 



In South Africa this bird is a " partial migrant " in some 

 districts, a resident in others. It may also be an African 

 migrant, some going to Central or Northern Africa to 

 spend our winter months. We procured specimens in 

 Grahamstown in June and July — the heart of wrater — ^L. E. 

 Taylor in Barberton, in June, 1905, and C. G. Davies of 

 the Cape Mounted Eifles informs us that it is practically a 

 resident in Pondoland. It is parasitic upon a number 

 of birds, the egg to a large extent varying in colour to mimic 

 that of the foster-parent. Pym took a white egg from the 

 nest hole of the Malachite Kingfisher, which lays white eggs 

 {videYig. III., page 276) ; we have taken eggs from the nests of 

 Apalis thoracica, the Cuckoo's eggs resembling those of the 

 Warbler in colour, but differing considerably in size and shape. 

 We also took an egg from the nest of the Larger Double- 

 collared Sunbird, which was very like that of the Black 

 Sunbird, so much so that had the egg been deposited in a 

 nest of the latter bird it would have been a matter of diffi- 

 culty to have distinguished it from the Sunbird's eggs. We 

 append a photograph of a young C. Klaasi in the nest of a 

 Double-collared Sunbird. 



The Diedxic or Golden Cuckoo {C. cwpreus) is metallic 

 green with coppery reflections above, a white streak on 

 the centre of the crown, a narrow green band under the 

 eye ; under-surface white, banded on the sides of the body 

 with green ; in the female this barring is more pronounced, 

 extending across the chest. 



It is widely distributed in Africa, being a migrant to 

 other climes, arriving in late September or early October, 

 and departing at the end of March or so. It derives its 

 trivial name from its loud plaintive cry of " Dee-dee-dee- 

 deederick." Like the other members of the family, insects 

 and their larvae — caterpillars, etc. — ^form its staple diet. 



