238 ANIMAL COLORATION. 



lioth groups ; among the goatsuckers there are " horned " 

 forms, such as Lyncornis macrotis, which suggest of course 

 the horned owls. So long as the owls remain associated with 

 the eagles and vultures in our systems of ornithological 

 classifications, these resemblances must be set down either 

 to accidental resemblances, or to mimicry, or to resemblances 

 brought about by similarity of habit : goatsuckers and owls 

 are both of them predaceous, and are crepuscular or nocturnal 

 birds. 



But the opinion has been lately gaining ground* that the 

 owls are not so nearly akin to the Accipitrine birds as they 

 have been thought to be, and that their association with the 

 goatsuckers would not be entirely contrary to the facts of 

 anatomy ; in this case the superficial resemblances spoken of 

 may be an expression of real affinity. 



The cuckoos are a group of birds which show resemblance 

 to a number of quite diiferent families. 



The Sumatran ground cuckoo {Carjpococcijx radiatus), of 

 which a specimen may be seen in the insect house at the 

 Zoological Society's Gardens, is curiously like a gallinaceous 

 bird in its gait and appearance. Centropus phasianus, which 

 may be also inspected at the Zoological Gardens, has received 

 its specific name in accordance with its striking resemblance 

 to a pheasant. 



The late Prof., Garrod f attempted to show that the cuckoos, 

 in many structural features, come near to the gallinaceous 

 birds, though his views have not, perhaps, met with general 

 acceptance among ornithologists. If, however, further research 



* See Prof. Newton's article "Ornithology" in the 9th edition of the 

 Encyclopcedia Brilamuca. 



t Collected papers of A. H. Garrod, edited by W. A. Forbes. London, 

 R. H. Porter, 1881. 



