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MADAGASCAR CRESTED CUCKOW. 

 (Cuculus eristatus.) 



C. cauda rotundata, capite cristato, corpore cinereo-virescenfe 



abdomine rufo-albo, rectricibus lateralibus apice albis. 

 Cuckow with a rounded tail, crested head, body of a cinereous 



green, abdomen of a reddish white, and the lateral tail-feathers 



tipped with white. 

 Cuculus eristatus. Lin. Syst. Nat. I. \ fi. lg. — Gmel. Syst, 



Nat. 1. 420. — Lath. Ind. Orn. I. 213. 16. 

 Cuculus madagascarensis eristatus. Bris. 4. 149. 22. t, \%.f> 2> 

 Coucou huppe de Madagascar. Buff. PI. Enl. 58g. 

 Coua. Buff. Hist. Nat. Ois. 6.365. 4. 16. 

 Madagascar crested Cuckow. Lath. Syn. 2. 522. 15. 

 Le Coua. Le Vail. Ois. d'Jfr. 5. pi. 217. 



Length fourteen inches: beak more than an 

 inch long, black : irides orange : head and upper 

 parts of the body of a beautiful ash-colour, in- 

 clining to green : feathers on the head long, form- 

 ing a crest : throat and fore part of the neck cine- 

 reous : lower part of the neck and breast greenish : 

 belly and sides whitish, with a rufous tinge : under 

 tail-covens rufous white: thighs white, marked 

 with a band of light ash-colour : quills pale green, 

 with a blue and violet gloss \ beneath cinereous : 

 tail cinereous ; the lateral feathers tipped with 

 white ; the two middle tail-feathers longest : legs 

 black. 



Mr. Commerson assures us the flesh of this bird 

 is very good to eat, that it is frequent in the woods 

 about Fort Dauphin, and that it carries its tail 



