ORIENTAL CUCKOO. 
Mr. Edwin Ashby has written me : “ I received a couple of specimens of 
Cuculus cyptatus Gould from Mr. C. E. May collected at Anson Bay, Northern 
Territory, in 1911, with the statement that these Cuckoos had visited that 
locality in considerable numbers at the time of sending. One skin I gave to 
you and the other to the South Austrahan Museum. Mr. May has been on the 
look-out to secure me another specimen, but has not been able to get me any 
since. It looks as if they did not occur at Cape Ford, where Mr. May was 
afterwards stationed.” 
Mr. K. Broadbent in the Emu, Vol. X., p. 239, 1910, wrote : “ This is a 
summer visitant to Cardwell (N. Queensland) arriving in November, and leaving 
end of February. A very solitary bird. I have seldom seen two together. 
It keeps near the beach, about Cardwell, in the low bushes. I have never seen 
this bird inland more than five miles from the coast. It utters a note not 
unhke Cacomantis palUdus, but seldom ; it is a quiet bird, very Hawk-like in 
its flight, and shy to get a shot at. Very early morning is the only time to get 
specimens.” 
Barnard recorded {Emu, Vol. XI., p. 24, 1911) : “ Fairly plentiful in forest 
country at Cape York. Very shy and not easily obtained.” 
This was corroborated by McLennan whose notes Macgillivray published 
{Emu, Vol. XIII., p. 162, 1914) : “ This Cuckoo was on several occasions noted 
at Cape York in the summer months. It was never there in numbers : it 
was exceedingly shy, and so difficult of approach that no specimens were 
obtained.” 
Mr. J. P. Rogers wrote : “ Melville Island, Dec. 11, 1911. One pair only 
seen, one of which was secured. Jan. 13, 1912. Some were seen nearly every 
day on the north side of the island, but none were procured, as the species is 
very wild here.” 
Bemey {Emu, Vol. VI., p. 44, 1906), wrote : “ Gathering up (early in 
May) a handful of feathers, all that remained after a Hawk’s meal, of a species 
of Cuckoo that was strange to me, I forwarded them to Mr. A. J. Campbell for 
his opinion, who replied that he thought they were referable to this species, and 
with this I concur.” 
The correct name of this Cuckoo appears to be the one given it by Gopld, 
but this result has not been arrived at without a long series of vicissitudes. 
Thus in his “ Handbook ” Gould doubtfully used Muller’s name of Cuculus 
cauoroides. In the Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum this species 
was lumped with others under the name Cuculus intermedins Vahl, the range 
being given as “from Siberia and Japan, south throughout China and the 
Indian Peninsula, through the Malay Archipelago to New Guinea, New Britain 
and Austraha.” 
VOL. vn. 
289 
