CUCKOOS 285 



Its egg is subject to still more variation in size, shape 

 and colour than that of the last species so far as our ex- 

 perience goes. We have both taken white eggs — in many 

 cases absolutely authentic. A pure white egg was taken 

 from the oviduct of a female shot at the Crocodile River, 

 District Pretoria ; a white egg was also found in the nest 

 of a Cape Wagtail, which was allowed to hatch out to make 

 identity certain : further, we took a white egg from the 

 nest of the little Red-vented Tit-babbler {vide Pig. 147). The 

 larger egg is that of the Cuckoo. White eggs have been 

 taken by Messrs. Barber, le Vaillant and Jackson. The 

 usual host is the Cape Sparrow, both of us having taken the 

 Cuckoo's eggs — coloured like those of the Sparrow — ^from the 

 nests of this bird. This is borne out by the experiences of 

 Ayres, Millar, Roberts, and Sparrow {vide Fig. 146, page 283). 

 The next commonest host is perhaps the Masked Weaver 

 {Hyphantornis velatus). We took several eggs from their 

 retort-shaped nests resembling those foimd in the Sparrow's 

 nests. 



Fitzsimons records having taken a blue egg from the 

 ovary of a female, so it will thus be seen that the evidence 

 regarding the variation of colour, &c., in the egg of this 

 bird is indisputable. In March, 1903, we took five young 

 Cuckoos from the nests of sparrows and seven more in 

 January, 1906, from the nests of the Sparrow and the 

 Spotted-backed Weaver. We append a photograph of 

 a young Cuckoo in a Sparrow's nest ; the latter has been 

 partly broken open to show the Cuckoo. 



The next five species are all crested birds, the largest 

 being the Great Spotted Cuckoo {Coccystes glandarius) 

 which is a migrant from South Europe, North Africa, and 

 West Persia. 



It is slaty brown above, the wing-coverts, &c., being 



