JOURNAL 



OF THE 



ASIATIC SOCIETY 



A Monograph of the Indian and Malayan species of Cuculidce, or 

 Birds of the Cuckoo family. By Edward Blyth, Curator of the 

 Asiatic Society. 



In the present state of Indian Ornithology, there is nothing so much 

 required, as a series of carefully prepared monographs of various groups, 

 in which the object should be less to describe new species, than to 

 attempt an analysis of those which have been already made known, 

 more or less satisfactorily, by numerous writers, whose information at 

 present lies scattered in a great variety of works, many of difficult 

 access, and others in which few would think of looking for notices of the 

 kind. In proceeding to offer a series of such monographs, I am quite 

 sensible of my own deficiencies, arising alike from a paucity of expen- 

 sive works of reference, and from the circumstance of my having so 

 recently commenced the more especial study of Indian zoology ; but, 

 on the other hand, the peculiar advantages of my position afford consi- 

 derable facilities for the undertaking, and I am desirous to commence 

 at once, and publish with as little delay as practicable, such information 

 on many groups as will enable students of zoology in this country 

 to turn their observations to more account, by letting them know 

 whitherto their attention can be advantageously directed, hoping thus 

 to elicit from them those various additional details, which, were I to 

 postpone the publication of these monographs until my own researches 

 should have supplied me with all such desiderata, there would be 

 little chance of their ever appearing at all, and even if they did appear, 

 No. 130. New Series, No. 46. 6 b 



