322 cuckow. 



'81.— CAYENNE CUCKOW. 



Cueuhis Cayanus, Ind. Orn. i. 221. Lin. i. 170. Gm. Lin. u 417. JBris. iv. 122. 



t. 8. f. 2. Id. 8vo. ii. 75. Gen. Zool. ix. p. 90. 

 Coucou Piaye de Cayenne, Buf. vi. 414. P/. en/. 211. 

 Le Tingazu, Fby. d'Azara iv. No. 265. 

 Tamatia, Tern. Man. Ed. ii. Anal. p. lxxvii. 

 Cayenne Cuckow, Gen. Syn.u. 542. 



LENGTH fifteen inches and three quarters. Bill above one inch, 

 a little bent at the tip, and grey brown ; eyelids and irides coral red; 

 plumage above purplish chestnut, beneath the same, but paler ; the 

 quills like the upper parts, tipped with brown ; tail the same, greatly 

 cuneiform, ten inches in length ; the outer feather little more than 

 three ; the two middle ones brown, like the back ; the others black ; 

 the ends of all of them white ; legs grey brown. Male and female 

 much alike. 



Inhabits Cayenne, by the name of Piaye, or Devil ; as the natives 

 esteem it a bird of ill omen, they will not touch the flesh, and with 

 some reason, as it is very bad and lean. This idea takes place, too, 

 in Paraguay, where it is called Guira Paye, or Sorcerer's Bird; it is 

 a very tame Species, suffering itself to be almost touched by the 

 hand before it attempts to escape ; its flight somewhat like that of 

 the Kingsfisher; frequents the borders of rivers, on the low branches 

 of trees ; feeds on insects, and often wags the tail on changing plaee; 

 is not common in Paraguay ; seen only in pairs ; lays two eggs, and 

 rears its own young. The natives say the flesh is purgative, which 

 they attribute to the effects of magic. 



A. — Cuculus Cayanus, Ind. Orn. i. 45. y. Gen. Syn. ii. 543. 41. B. 



Length sixteen inches. Bill hooked, one inch and a half long, 

 red; crown of the head, including the eye, fine ash-colour; the rest 



