276 cuckow. 



dazzling white colour throughout, with a crest at the back of the 

 head ; size a trifle smaller than the Tachirou, but it being really a 

 Cuckow could not be ascertained, otherwise than by its manners in 

 flight, &c. for he was not able to obtain a shot at it, as it was 

 particularly Maid. 



17.— MADAGASCAR CUCKOW. 



Cuculus Madagascariensis, Ind. Orn. i. 212. Gm. Lin. i. 416. Gen. Zool. ix. p. 101. 

 Coucou verdatre de Madagascar, Buf. vi. 364. PI. enl. 815. 

 Great Madagascar Cuckow, Gen. Syn.u. 521. 



LENGTH twenty-one inches and a half. Bill one inch and three 

 quarters, black ; irides orange ; upper parts of the body deep olive, 

 obscurely waved with deep brown ; throat light olive, tinged with 

 yellow ; breast and upper parts of the belly fulvous ; lower belly, and 

 under tail coverts, brown ; thighs greyish ash-colour ; tail ten inches 

 long, some of the side feathers tipped with white ; the wings reach 

 two inches beyond the base of the tail ; legs yellowish brown. 



Inhabits Madagascar. 



A. — Great Madagascar Cuckow, Var. A. Gen. Syn. ii. 521. 



This differs in being a trifle larger ; on the head a naked bluish 

 space, furrowed, and encircled with black feathers ; those of the head 

 and neck soft and silky ; base of the bill bristly ; inside of the mouth 

 black ; tongue forked ; irides reddish ; inside of the wings blackish ; 

 legs black. 



This was found at Madagascar, in company with the other, and 

 supposed to be the male. It was observed to have the property of 

 turning the outer toe either forward, or behind at will. 



