220^ 



Catalogue of the Birds 



[ApRit 



Irides bright yellow j bill brown ; yellowish at the base ; gape, eyelids 

 and feet, of a deep bright yellow. Length 13 inches ; wing 8 ; tail 7 

 tarsus -jSg-ths j bill to front ; at gape I y2_ths. 



223. — C. Himalayanusj Vigors. Gould's Cent. Him. Birds.— C 

 ienuirostrisj Gray and Hardwicke's III. Ind. ZooX.-^Small Bay Cue 

 hoo. 



This very elegantly marked Cuckoo, supposed to be confined to the 

 Himalayan mountains, is found, though rarely, all over the peninsula, 

 jn thick forest jungle. I have observed it once or twice only, in Ma- 

 labar, and in the Coonoor ghaut, but have seen specimens from Tra- 

 vancore, where it appears tolerably abundant, and also from the eas- 

 tern range of ghauts, about the lat. of Madras. The stomach of the 

 only specimen I shot, contained caterpillars. 



Length a little more than 10 inches; wing 5 ; tail 5 j tarsus tV^^» 

 bill to front iVths; at gape rather more than 1. 



224. — C./«DM5—Gmel., Lesson Traite p. 151? — C, honoratus'i—C. 

 iSonneratii?—'C. lugubris, Horf. }.—Powsya^ Mahr. — Plaintive Cuckoo. 



Among the imperfect descriptions of authors it is often difficult to 

 determine correctly many species, but when the changes of plumage of 

 the bird are themselves considerable, the difficulties are greatly increased. 

 Such is the case with regard to the bird 1 am now going to mention. 

 The Plaintive Cuckoo, as it may be appropriately named, is an inha- 

 bitant of the western coast of the peninsula, and is found alike in thick 

 jungle, and in the more open spaces, and even in gardens and avenues. 

 Though I frequently heard it, I only obtained two specimens, and am 

 indebted to Mr. Vaughan for the examination of a third. I have 

 neither seen nor heard it in any of the other districts of the peninsula. It 

 is found at all levels from that of the sea, to the top of the Neilgherries, 

 about Coonoor and Kotagherry, where it is found in thick bushy ground. 

 Like the other cuckoos it is found single or in pairs. It has a most 

 sweet and plaintive note, which is often heard, and which sounds some- 

 thing like the last syllable, being whe-whew, whe-whe-e-w, much length- 

 ened out, and very plaintive. I found its food to consist chiefly of ca- 

 terpillars. I shall add a brief description of the three birds I have had 

 the means of observing. 



The first is entirely of a dark cinereous tint, with a strong gloss of 

 green throughout; tail blackish, edged with rufous ; quills beneath cine- 

 reous. A second specimen has the same glossy green colour above, with 

 the exception of the rump (which is lighter cinereous without any green). 



