222 The World-Evidence. 



Some of the Indian cuckoos that are not parasitic, 

 on the other hand, rear successive broods, a fresh 

 egg and full-grown young one being found in the 

 same nest.* 



Ceylon has almost the whole complement of Indian 

 cuckoos — the common cuckoo being there either resi- 

 dent or migrating to India. 



XXXIV. 



HIMALAYAN, AMERICAN, AND OTHER EVIDENCE. 



The remarkable resemblance of our common cuckoo 

 to certain hawks is proved to be in no way accidental 

 since resemblances even more close and striking to 

 hawks are found among foreign species. For ex- 

 ample, take Cuculus sparverioides of the Himalayas, 

 which in appearance, says Gould, much resembles 

 our canonis, though slightly larger, only that the tail 

 and wings are varied with several broad bars of 

 brown, and the breast blotched with patches of the 

 same tint, which gives it a great resemblance to 

 some of the Falconidce, particularly to the Falco 

 sparveriiis, whence it derives its specific name : 

 whether it is parasitic or not, Gould did not know 

 at the date of publication of Birds of the Himalayas. 

 The naming of various owls and hawks bears testi- 

 mony to the resemblance. Thus the little owl of the 

 Himalayas, named Nocttia cuculoides, exhibits exactly 

 the style of colouring of the immature cuckoo. The 

 cuckoo-falcon of West Africa, named Aviceda cucu- 



* Jerdon, i, p. 318. 



