DIPLOPTEEUS.— DEOMOCOCCTX. 541 



as Biplopterus excellens, on the ground of its being larger than the southern form, more 

 rufescent on the back, the upper tail-coverts cinnamon-rufous with a median black 

 stripe, purer white beneath, the breast slightly rufescent and without greyish tint, its 

 bill longer and higher, the tarsus longer, &c. 'J'hese characters, so far as the plumage 

 is concerned, point to a not very old bird in freshly-moulted feather, and do not seem 

 of much weight when a large series of specimens is examined, such as now exists in the 

 British Museum. The difference of size, too, is unimportant, so that it is not now 

 deemed necessary to separate the Mexican bird. 



The resort of this Cuckoo is scrubby woods, where it lives mostly on or near the 

 ground. One we shot near Duenas was in such a place, and rose rapidly from the 

 ground, and flew swiftly away on being disturbed. Mr. Nutting shot one out of a 

 hedge in an open field near San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua ^O- Mr. Cherrie says it is 

 rare near San Jose, Costa Rica, where it is a straggler, but common at low elevations 

 down to the shores of the Pacific ^^. 



Mr. Chapman ^^ found D. ncBvius to be common in the island of Trinidad, but a 

 rather shy bird, living in and near thickets. He says it passes much of its time on the 

 ground, but frequently ascends to the topmost branches of the smaller trees to call. 

 Its calls are also uttered on the ground. They are given more or less throughout the 

 day, and are among the most pleasing and characteristic bird-notes to be heard at the 

 place where he stayed. They are of two kinds — one being heard quite as frequently 

 as the other. Both are in a minor key, the first consisting of two notes, the second 

 half a tone lower than the first. The second call is translated by the negroes as chloe, 

 chloe, chloe-dead, chloe-dead. On one occasion, whilst watching one of these birds 

 walking over some recently burnt ground, Mr. Chapman was surprised at a most 

 singular action on its part. The bird walked rapidly for a few yards, then stopping 

 raised and lowered its crest, and turned the black feathers of the bastard wing forwards 

 until they pointed towards the breast. This was repeated several times. 



We are not aware of anything being on record respecting the nesting-habits or the 



eggs of this species. 



DEOMOCOCCYX. 



Dromococcyo!, Wied, Beitr. Naturg. Bras. iv. p. 351 (1832J ; Shelley, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xix. 

 p. 425. 

 With the upper tail-coverts long and largely developed as in Biplopterus, this genus 

 differs in having a much straighter, flatter, and more slender bill, the nostrils being 

 long narrow slits at the lower edge of the nasal fossa ; the tail-feathers are much wider 

 and the tail itself larger, and the upper coverts very fully developed and reaching to 

 the tips of the longest rectrices. The tarsi are moderately long, and the tibiae clothed 



with short feathers. 



The general colour of the upper plumage is dark brown, relieved on the wings with 

 fulvous spots ; the under plumage is white, with spots on the breast. 



