56 



A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Genus CLAMATOR Kaup. 



Clamator Kaup, Skizz. Entwick. Gesch. & Naturl. Syst., p. 53* (1829 — 

 Monotype : C. glandarius). 



Differs from Cuculus in its crested head and longitudinal, 

 slit-like nostrils. Third and fourth primary longest. Lays eggs 

 in nests of other birds like Cuculus. Eight species in Africa and 

 India, only one in Europe. (Coccystes of many authors.) 



CLAMATOR GLANDARIUS 



227. Clamator glandarius (L.)— THE GREAT SPOTTED 

 CUCKOO. 



Cuculus glandarius Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. Ill (1758 — 



North Africa and South Europe). 



Coccystes glandarius (Linnaeus), Yarrell, 11, p. 408 ; Saunders, p. 289. 



Description. — Adult 

 male and female. 

 Winter and summer. — 

 Fore -head and crown 

 blue - grey, feathers 

 with blackish shafts 

 and often edged and 

 tipped dark brownish - 

 grey with small, in- 

 conspicuous creamy 

 spot at extreme tip, 

 feathers narrow and 

 elongated forming 

 conspicuous crest ; 

 centre of nape black- 

 ish-brown ; mantle 

 and scapulars rather 



paler brown, a few feathers of mantle slightly fringed whitish, 

 scapulars with conspicuous white spots at tip ; back and rump 

 greyer-brown, narrowly tipped greyish -white ; upper tail -coverts 

 same but with longer white tips and outer feathers with outer 

 webs white ; lores, over and below eyes, ear-coverts extending 

 to nape grey to blackish -grey ; chin and throat reaching upper- 

 breast and extending to sides of nape buffish -cream varying 

 somewhat in intensity, most feathers with dark grey shafts ; 

 rest of under-parts white tinged cream, flanks lightly washed 

 greyish ; axillaries and under wing-coverts bumsh-cream, longer 

 coverts pale grey to white ; tail : central pair dark brown with 

 slight metallic -green tinge and small white tip, rest darker 



Great Spotter] Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius). 



* The page is numbered " 35, " but this is clearly a misprint for 53. — E.H. 



