240 



Supplement to the Monograph of the Indian and Malayan species of 



Cuculidce, or Birds of the Cuckoo family, published in Vol XI, 

 pp. 898, 1095, et seq. By Edward Blyth, Curator of the Asiatic 



Society. 



Having received some annotations on my paper on Cuculidce from 

 Mr. Jerdon, and been favoured by Dr. McClelland with the loan of the 

 Zoologie du Voyage de M. Belanger, which has set me right with 

 regard to the names of certain species, besides furnishing some other 

 information concerning them, and having likewise learned one or two 

 other facts worthy of publication, I shall not longer postpone the pre- 

 paration of an Appendix to that paper, but proceed at once to its 

 revision. 



Accipitrine Cuckoo ; Cuculus sparverioides, Vigors and Gould. 

 In Southern India, writes Mr. Jerdon, this species is "only found in 

 the dense woods of the summit of the Neilgherries. It is seldom seen 

 except when the woods are beaten for Woodcocks, and quits the shel- 

 ter of the wood with reluctance. I never heard its note. Flight 

 rapid. Stomach filled with caterpillars." 



Whistling Cuckoo ; C. fugax, Horsfield. The same observer 

 continues — " Besides the Hindustani name given in my catalogue, its 

 name in Teloogoo is Kuttee pitta, i. e. i Sword-bird,' given, it is said, 

 from its peculiar and rapid flight. It is stated by the Shikarees to 

 deposit its eggs in the nest of the Shikra ! ( Astur Dussumieri), which 

 it so much resembles in colour. In the Deccan it is sometimes named 

 Zuk-kat or ' Custom-house bird'." In Bengal, the young of this bird 

 are far more numerous in open jungles than the Hawk mentioned, but 

 I have not yet observed any particular species feeding them.* 



C. Sonneratii. "Only found in dense forest-jungle." Jerdon. 



C. niger. " Dispersed over all the peninsula wherever there is much 

 shelter. At Hydrabad I saw one of this kind in the grey plumage sit- 

 ting on a trellis work in a garden expanding its wings continually, and 

 close to the spot where it sat and within view was a nest of Prinia 

 socialis containing two eggs, which I recognised to be those of that 

 bird. It struck me at the time that the little Cuckoo had made the 

 discovery of the nest, and was meditating the substitution of her own 



* A young specimen of apparently this bird from Macao is very much deeper-colour- 

 ed than usual, and may possibly be of a different species. 



