c u c 
mon in Sweden ; but not to appear sc early 
by a month as with us. Russia is not desti- 
tute ot this bird; and Mr. Latham has seen 
a specimen brought from Kamtschatku, now 
in the possession of sir Joseph Banks. 
2. The indicator; or honey-guide, is a na- 
tive of America. See Plate N. H. tig. 154. 
The following descriptions; given of it by Dr. 
Sparrman, in the Philosophical Transactions 
for 1777. “ This curious specie's of cuckow 
is found at a considerable distance from the 
Cape of Good Hope, in the interior parts of 
Africa, being entirely unknown at that set- 
tlement. The first place 1 heard of it was in 
a wood called the Groot-Vaader’s Bosch, the 
Grandfather's Wood,- situated in a desert near 
the river which the Hottentots callT’kaut’kai. 
The Dutch settlers thereabout have given 
tins bird the name of honiguyzer, or honey- 
guide, from its quality of discovering wild 
lnney to travellers. Its colour lias nothing 
striking or beautiful: its size is smaller 
than that of our cuckow in Europe; but in 
r turn, the instinct which prompts it to seek 
ils food in a singular manner is truly admi- 
rable. Not oyily the Dutch and Hottentots, 
but likewise a species of quadruped named 
ratel (probably a new species of badger), 
are frequently conducted to wild bee-hives 
by this bird, which, as it were, pilots them 
to the very spot. The honey being its. fa- 
vourite food, its own interest prompts it to 
be instrumental in robbing the hive, as some 
scraps are commonly left for its support. The 
morning and evening are its times of feeding, 
and it is then heard calling in a shrill tone, 
cherr, cha r, which the honey- hunters care- 
fully attend to as the summons to the chace. 
From time^to time they answer with a soft 
whistle, which the bird hearing always con- 
tinues its note. As soon as they are in sight 
of each other, the bird gradually flutters to- 
wards the place where the hive is situated, 
continually repeating its former call of cherr, 
cherr; nay, if it should happen to have gain- 
ed a considerable way before the men (who 
may easily be hindered in the pursuit by 
bushes, Byers, or the like), it. returns to them 
again, and redoubles its note, as if to re- 
proach them with their inactivity. At last 
the bird is observed to hover for a few mo- 
ments over a certain spot ; and then silently 
retiring to a neighbouring bush or resting- 
place, the hunters are sure of finding the 
bees’ nest in that identical spot ; whether it 
be in a tree or in the crevice of a rock, or 
(as is most commonly the ease) in the earth. 
Whilst the hunters are busy in taking the 
honey, the bird is seen looking on attentive- 
ly to what is going forward, and waiting for 
its share of the spoil. The bee-hunters never 
fail to leave a small portion for their con- 
ductor; but commonly take care not to leave 
so much as would satisfy his hunger. The 
bird’s appetite being whetted by this parsi- 
mony, he is obliged to commit a second trea- 
son, by discovering another bees’ nest, in 
hopes of a better salary. It is further ob- 
served, that the nearer the bird approaches 
the hidden hive, the more frequently it re- 
peats its call, and seeips the more impatient. 
1 have liad frequent opportunities of seeing 
this bird, and have been witness to the de- 
struction of several republics of bees by 
means of its treachery. I had, however, but 
two opportunities ot shooting it, which I did 
to the great indignation of my Hottentots. 
CUC 
It is about seven inches in length, and is of a 
rusty-brown colour on the back, with a white 
breast and belly.” A nest which was shown 
to Dr. Sparrman for that of this bird, was 
composed of slender filaments of bark, woven 
together in the form of a bottle; the neck 
and opening Rung downwards, aud a string, 
in an arched shape, was suspended across 
the opening, fastened by the two ends, per- 
haps lor the bird to perch on. 
3. T he capensisor Cape cuckow (Buffon) 
is a trifle smaller than ours. It inhabits the 
Cape of Good Hope ; and is most likely the 
same bird which is called edolio, from its 
pronouncing tliat word frequently in a low 
melancholy tone. Voyagers also mention 
another cuckow, which is common to Loango 
in Africa. It is larger than ours, but of the 
same colour, and repeats the word cuckow 
like that bird, but in a different inflection of 
voice. It is said that the male and female 
together go through the whole eight notes of 
the gamut; the male, beginning by itself, 
sounds the first three, after which he is ac- 
companied by the female through the rest of 
the octave. 
4. The honoratus, or sacred cuckow, is 
somewhat less than our cuckow. This spe- 
cies inhabits Malabar, where the natives hold 
it sacred. It feeds on reptiles, which per- 
haps may be such as are the most noxious : 
if so, this seeming superstition may have 
arisen from a more reasonable foundation 
than many others of the like sort. 
5. The vetula is rather larger than a 
blackbird. This species inhabits Jamaica, 
where it is frequt nt in the woods and hedges 
all the year round. It feeds on seeds, small 
Worms, and caterpillars, ami is very tame. 
This bird has the name tacco from its cry, 
which is like that word; the first syllable of 
this is pronounced hardly, the other follow- 
ing in a full octave lower than the first, it 
has also another cry like qua, qua, qua, but 
that only when alarmed by an enemy. Be- 
sides insects, it will also eat lizards, small 
snakes, frogs, young rats, and sometimes 
even small birds. The snakes they swallow 
head foremost, letting the tail hang out of the 
mouth till the fore parts are digested. This 
bird, it is most likely, might be easily tamed, 
as it is so gentle as to suffer the negro child- 
ren to catch it with their hands, its gait is 
that of leaping like a magpie, being -frequent- 
ly seen on the ground; and its flight but 
short, chiefly from bush to bush. At the 
time when other birds breed, they likewise 
retire into the woods, but their nests have 
never yet been found; from which we should 
be inclined to think that they were indebted 
to other birds for the rearing of their young, in 
the manner of the common cuckow. It has 
the name of rain-bird, as it is said to make 
the greatest noise before rain. It is common 
all the year at Jamaica. In another species 
or variety, common in Jamaica, the feathers 
on the throat appear like a downy beard, 
whence probably the name of old-man rain- 
bird, given it there, and by Ray, Sloane, and 
others. 
6. The cayanus, or Cayenne cuckow, is 
the size of a blackbird. This inhabits 
Cayenne, where it goes by the name of 
piaye or devil. The natives give it that 
name, as a bird of ill omen. The flesh they 
will not touch ; and indeed not without rea- 
son, as it is very bad and lean. It is a very 
3 N 2 
(.; U C J6? 
tame species, suffering itself to be almost 
touched by the hand before it offers to es- 
cape. Its’flight is almost like that of a king’s- 
fisher, and it frequents the borders ot rivers 
on the low brandies, feeding on insects, and 
often wagging its tail on changing place. 
CUCuMIS, the cucumber, a genus of the 
syngenesia order, in the moncecia class of 
plants, and in the natural method ranking 
under tiie 34th order, cucurbitaceax The 
male calyx is quinquedentated, the corolla 
quinquepartite, the filaments -three. ihe 
female calyx is also quinquedentated, the 
corolla qiiinquepartite, the pistil trilid; the 
sides of the apple sharp-pointed. In this 
genus Linnaius includes also the melon. 
There are 13 species, of which the follow- 
ing are the most remarkable. 
1. The sativa, or common cucumber, has 
roots composed of long, slender, white fibres; 
long slender stalks, very branchy at their 
joints, trailing on the ground, or climbing by 
their claspers, adorned at every joint by large 
angular leaves on long erect footstalks, with 
numerous and monopetalous bell-shaped flow- 
ers of a yellow colour, succeeded by oblong 
rough fruit. The varieties of this kind are, 
1 . The common rough green prickly cucum- 
ber ; a middle-sized fruit, about six or seven 
inches iong, having a dark-green rough rind, 
closely set with very small prickles: the 
plant is of the hardiest sort, but does not show 
its fruit early. 2. The short green prickly 
cucumber is about three or four inches long, 
the rind rather smooth, and set with small 
prickles. It is valuable chiefly for being one 
of the earliest and hardiest sorts. 3. The 
long green prickly cucumber, grows from six 
to nine inches in length, and is rather thinly 
set with prickles: and as there are an early 
and a late cucumber, it is considerably the 
best variety for the main crops, both in the 
frames and hand-glass, as well as in the open 
groufid for picklers. Of this there is another 
variety with white fruit. 4. The early green 
cluster cucumber, is a shortish fruit, remark- 
able for growing in clusters, and appearing 
early. 5. The long smooth green Turkey 
cucumber is a smooth green-rinded fruit, 
growing from 10 to 15 inches in length, 
without prickles. The plants are strong 
growers, with very large leaves. 6. r i he 
long smooth white Turkey cucumber, js a 
smooth-rinded fruit, from 10 to 15 inches 
long without prickles. 7. The large smooth 
green Roman cucumber is a very large and 
long smooth green fruit, produced irom a 
strong-growing plant. 8. The long white 
prickly Dutch cucumber is a white fruit, 
eight or ten inches long, set with small black 
prickles. The plants are but bad bearers in 
this country. 
2. The chata, or hairy cucumber. Accord- 
ing to Mr. Hasselquist this grows in the fer- 
tile earth near Cairo, after the inundation of 
the Nile, and not in any other place in Egypt, 
nor does it grow in any other soil. The fruit 
is a little watery ; the flesh almost of the 
same substance with the melons ; it tastes 
somewhat sweet and cool, but is far from 
being so cool as the water-melons. This the 
grandees and Europeans in Egypt eat as the 
most pleasant fruit they find, and that from 
which they have the least to apprehend. It 
is the most excellent fruit of this tribe, of any 
yet known.' 
3. The inelo, or melon. The varieties of 
