( S8 ) 
"The Black Indian Cuckow. 
r^pl HIS Bird is about the Size of our Black-Bird^ or Thrupy which 
P is fmaller than the Cuckow that vifits us every Summer in En- 
gland: It hath its Head, I think, larger in Proportion than our Cuckow y 
and its Bill manifeftly thicker, tho’ not quite fo long as our’s. 
The Bill is thicker and ftronger than in fome of this Kind, of a bright 
Orange Colour; the Sides, or Edges of the upper Mandible, where they 
fall over the nether, do not run in a ftrait Line, but in a Wave, as it is 
exprefled in the Figure: The Head, Body, Wings, and Tail, are cover’d 
in every Part with deep black Feathers, without any Mark or Spot of 
other Colours; notwithftanding which, it may be accounted a very beau- 
' tiful Bird, becaufe its Feathers have fuch a Ihining Luftre on them, that 
they, by Turns, being expofed to different Lights, refled: all the diffe- 
rent Colours in the Rainbow : The middle Feathers of the Tail are 
pretty long ; the Side Feathers become gradually fhorter ; both Tail and 
Wings are pretty long, as they are in all this Tribe of Birds ; the Legs 
are fhort, but thick and ftrong, as are the Feet and Claws, all of a 
reddifli- brown Colour, the Claws being darker than the Toes. As it is 
not eafy to define how a Thing, that fometimes appears purely black, 
fhould, on a little Turn, take fhining Colours, tho’ no fuch be 
placed near it to be refleded back ; I have imagined, that thefe Fea- 
thers muft have in their Compofition fome tranfparent, triangular Fi- 
bres, which operate on the Eye, as our Glafs Prifms do, I think it 
would be a Matter worthy the Pains of our curious microfcopical Obfer- 
vators ; it might be tried on the black Feathers of a MagpyCy or RaveUy 
and many other of our Birds, who have fhining black Feathers. 
This Bird was brought from Bengal^ where it is called in the Coun- 
try Language, Cukeel : Poffibly its Cry may be pretty like the European 
Cuckow" ^y and the Indians may name it from its Voice ; feeing the Indian 
Name nearly agrees with that the Cuckow bears in Europe, This was, 
with many other curious Birds, in the Colledion of Mr. Da?tdridge in 
Moorjieldsy London ; from whence my Draught was taken. 
Hoe 
