NARROW-BILLED BRONZE CUCKOO 215 
Considering how closely the birds resemble each 
other, the difference in the eggs is striking. The 
Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoo lays a small egg, which, 
like that of the Bronze, is the same shape at both 
ends, but, in strong contrast to the Bronze Cuckoo's 
egg, is reddish white in ground-colour, freckled 
evenly and thickly all over with reddish spots, which, 
it may be remarked, rub off very easily if moistened. 
The egg is deposited (probably by the bird's 
beak, after being laid on the ground) in the nest of 
any one of several kinds of small birds, among which, 
from my own observations, I may note the White-eye, 
Blue Wren, Yellow-tail, Scarlet Robin, White-fronted 
Chat, Xerophila, Sericornis, Calamanthus and Gold- 
finch. The earliest-laid egg I have noted was one 
nearly incubated in a Sericornis' nest at Connewarre, 
July 29th, 1893. Most eggs are laid in September 
and October. 
BRONZE CUCKOO 
Lamprococcyx plagosus plagosus 
I HAVE mentioned the distinctive marks of this bird 
in dealing with the preceding species. In habits it 
appears to be very similar to the Narrow-billed, and 
it is only because of the comparative rarity of its 
eggs that I am disposed to say it is not so common 
a bird with us as is its relative. 
The eggs are among the most remarkable of our 
smaller birds'. They are of a deep chocolate-brown, 
