CUCULIN^. CUCULUS. 
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FAMILY VII. CUCULIN^. CUCULINE 
BIKDS OB CUCKOOS. 
Bill long or moderate, wide at the base, compressed 
toward the end, somewhat arched, and pointed ; upper 
mandible with the ridge obtuse and arcuato-declinate, the 
j edges sharp, notchless, the tip decurved. Tongue of 
! moderate size, flattened, tapering ; oesophagus wide, with - 
I out dilatation ; stomach very large, round, with its mus- 
'i cular coat thin, the epithelium soft and rugous ; intes- 
tine of moderate length and width, with large oblong 
cceca, as in the Owls. Trachea with a single pair of in- 
ferior laryngeal muscles, being slips of the sterno-tra- 
cheales. Eyes of moderate size. Nostrils linear, oblong, 
j or circular, direct, in the short bare nasal groove. F eet 
short, weak, or of moderate strength ; tarsus short, with 
I a very large scutella ; toes four, scutellate, broad beneath ; 
I first small, second shorter than fourth, and united at the 
base with the third, which is very long, fourth reversed ; 
I claws moderate, compressed, curved, acute. Plumage mo- 
derately full, the feathers ovate, with a very short plu- 
mule ; wings long or moderate, much rounded, the first 
quill short, the third and fourth longest ; tail very long, 
ample, graduated or rounded, of twelve broad feathers. 
The Cuculinse, of which none are permanently resident 
in countries subject to severe winter cold, feed on insects, 
worms, and soft fruits, in procuring which they glide 
II among the trees and foliage, leaping from branch to 
branch, but never climbing in the manner of Wood- 
peckers or Creepers. They fly with rapidity, but on the 
j ground walk in a constrained and awkward manner. 
GENUS XXI. CUCULUS. CUCKOO. 
BiU of moderate length, rather slender, arcuato-declinate, 
broader than high at the base, compressed toward the end, 
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