108 
BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 
Genus HIEEOCOCCYX, Muller. 
492. HIEEOCOCCYX SPARVEEIOIDES. 
THE LARGE HAWK-CUCKOO. 
Cuculus sparverioides, Vigors, P. Z. 8. 1831, p. 173 ; David et Oust. Ois. Chine, 
p. 63. Hierococcyx sparverioides, Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 331 ; Hume, Nests and 
Eggs, p. 135 ; Bl. B. Burm. p. 79 ; Hume, 8. F. iii. p. 80 ; Armstrorig, 8. F. 
iv. p. 311 ; Hujue ^ Bav. 8. F. vi. p. 167 ; Hu7ne, 8. F. viii. p. 89; 8cully, 8. F. 
viii. p. 256. Cuculus strenuus, Gould, Birds Asia, pt. viii. 
Description. — Male and female. Chin^ forehead, crown^ nape, sides of 
the head and neck and hind neck deep ashy ; back^ scapulars, wing-coverts 
and tertiaries brown ; primaries and secondaries brown, banded with white 
on the inner webs ; rump and upper tail-coverts ashy brown, the latter 
cross-barred darker and tipped paler ; tail grey, with four broad cross bars 
of dark bro¥/n, contiguous to each of which is a narrow pale rufous bar ; 
another subterminal rufous bar about an inch broad, and each feather with 
a pale rufous tip ; throat w^hite,, more or less streaked with ashy ; breast 
ferruginous, with pale ashy shaft-stripes ; abdomen, sides of the body and 
under wing-coverts white barred with brown ; vent and under tail-coverts 
pure white. 
The young bird has the forehead and crown ashy; the nape and hind 
neck rufous streaked with brown ; the whole remaining upper plumage 
brown barred with rufous ; wings barred on both webs with rufous ; tail 
much as in the adult ; chin ashy ; throat and breast pale buff, boldly 
streaked with brown; abdomen very narrowly and interruptedly barred 
with brown. As the bird gets older, the bars below become more defined 
and the rufous above disappears. 
Gape and edges of the eyelids yellow ; legs deep yellow ; claws pale 
yellow ; upper mandible dark brown, lower chiefly greenish ; iris yellow. 
Length 16 inches, tail 9, wing 9, tarsus 1, bill from gape 1'4. The 
female is smaller. 
The Large Hawk-Cuckoo is found over the whole of Pegu and probably 
the whole of Arrakan. Mr. Davison met with it in Tenasserim as far 
south as Amherst, and Capt. Bingham observed it in the Thoungyeen 
valley. Capt. Wardlaw Ramsay procured it in Karennee at 4000 feet 
elevation. 
It extends through the Indo-Burmese countries and is spread over a 
considerable portion of India. It is found in China, ranging in the 
summer as far as Amurland, and it has been recorded in the south from 
Malacca. 
This fine Cuckoo appears to be a resident species in Burmah, for I am 
