6 



ON A NEW BRITISH SPECIES OF CUCKOO. 



IN A LETTER TO THE EDITOR. BY ROBERT BALL, ESQ., DUBLIN. 



Sir, 



The zeal manifested in your numerous publications on subjects of 

 Natural History, induces me to make the present communication, con- 

 ceiving that any addition to our British birds must prove acceptable to 

 you. In the autumn of 1825, the butler of a neighbouring gentleman 

 brought me to Youghal, in the county of Cork, a bird but a few 

 minutes shot, and still warm and bleeding ; not having, at that time, 

 paid much attention to ornithology, I placed it in my collection as a 

 " rara avis," though not then suspecting that it was unknown to 

 British naturalists. Some years after I came to reside in this city ; 

 having shown it to several of my ornithological friends, I was some- 

 what surprised at its being unknown to them. On the publication of 

 your edition of Montagu's Dictionary, I searched it in vain for more 

 than one species of cuckoo, to which genus my bird evidently belongs. 

 It thence struck me it was my duty to make it known, and I prepared 

 the accompanying drawing, faithfully though rudely executed*, from 

 the specimen as it now lies in my cabinet ; but purposing to make a 

 more finished one, I delayed sending it to you from day today, until my 

 attention was recalled to it by Mr. Glenon, an intelligent professional 

 mounter of birds. He acquainted me that he had received a bird very 

 like mine, recently shot at Old Connaught, near Bray, a short distance 

 from this city. On comparison of our specimens, mine appears to be 

 the larger and more highly coloured, in which particular it also excels 

 a South American specimen, which Mr. Glenon is possessed of. 

 The tail feathers of the latter, however, have the white somewhat more 

 distinct at the points. The tail consists of ten feathers, the three 

 outermost at each side tipped with white. The drawing conveys more 

 distinctly than words can do the other peculiarities of colouring. The 

 part not displayed in it is of uniform colour with the back of the head, 

 except that the upper sides of the quill feathers have a warm reddish 

 cast. My bird is much smaller than the common cuckoo ; the bill 

 rather larger ; the feet smaller ; the shank longer : the drawing is of 

 the exact size of the original. The fact of a second instance of the 

 bird being killed in this country, will, I conceive, entitle it to a place in 



* The drawing sent to me is beautifully done. — Editor. 



