THE COUCAL 255 



Genus Scythrops. 

 Celebes, Flores, Moluccas, Papua, Australia. Tlie one species. 



The Channel-bill. 



Scythrops novx4iollandi(E. 



Distribution above. 



Head and neclc pearl grey; rest of upper parts olive-grey with broad 

 blackish ends to all the feathers of the back and wings; tail with broad 

 subterminal blackish bar and a white end; under surfaces greyish-white 

 with pale wavy markings; bill y.ellowish; feet olive-brown; iris red; 

 orbits and lores scarlet. Total length 25 inches, culmen 4, wing 14, tail 

 11, tarsus 1.7. Female similar. 



Egg light stone-colour, marked all over, but particularly at 

 larger end, with irregular blotches of reddish-brown, many 

 darker and as below surface of shell. 1.7 x 1.25 inch. Usually 

 laid in the nests of Crows or Magpies, and occasionally small 

 Hawks. Seen at the feeding times, morning and evening, in 

 pairs or less often in small companies. The food is the capsule 

 of the gum-trees. The note is a loud scream. It is often called 

 the Rain bird, as it is supposed to be unusually noisy just before 

 rain and so foretell its coming. The same name was given to it 

 for similar reasons among the natives of the Celebes. 



Sub-family Gentropodinm. 

 Wing shorter than in Guculince and curved to fit the body. 



Genus Centropus. 

 All Tropical Africa, Madagascar, Indian Peninsula and 

 Ceylon, South China, Malay Archipelago to Papua and 

 Australia. A large genus with but one Australian species. 



The Coucal. 



Centropus phasianus. 



North-west Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, and New 

 South Wales. 



The male assumes a special plumage in the breeding season. In both 

 seasons the rump, upper tail-coverts and tail are glossy greenish-black 

 with numerous rufous, buff or white bars. When not in the breeding 

 season, the upper half of the head and back of the neck chestnut with 

 buff shaft stripes, mottled near the mantle with wavy black bars; the 



