( 57 )' 
The Great Spotted Cuckow. 
HIS Bird (to liken it in Size to what is well known to us) is of the Bignefs 
of a Magpyey or Jay^ and is the largefl of four Sorts of Cuckoos, of which 
I have Drawings from Nature in my Colledtion of Birds, and in its Colouring and Spots 
is the moft elegant Bird of its Genus that I have either feen, or find defcribed by 
Authors. See two Sorts defcribed and figured in Sir Hans Shane's Natural Hiftory of Ja- 
maica. Vol. II. Page 312J 313. 'Tab. 258. and one in Mr. Catesbfs Natural Hiflory of 
Carolina. Vol. I. p. 13. 
It hath a pretty ffrong black Bill, fomething long in Proportion to its Thicknefs, and 
a little bowed downward, ending in a Point; the lower Mandible hath fomething of an 
Angle underneath ; the whole Bill is of a black Colour; from the Angles of the Mouth 
on each Side is extended backward to the hinder Part of the Head a black Line, nar¬ 
rowed: at the Extremes, and broader in the middle Part, in which the Eyes are placed : 
The Crown of the Head is covered with foft Feathers of a blueifh Afh-colour, which by 
their Length and Loofenefs appear fomething like a Crefl:: The whole upper Side, 
Neck, Back,, Wings, and Tail are cover’d with dark brown Feathers; the greater 
Qmlls and Tail being the darkeftand approaching to Black : All the Wing Feathers, except 
the greater Quills, are tipp’d with White, and very light Afh-colour, as are the upper 
covert Feathers of the Tail; the two middle Feathers of the Tail are wholly dark; all 
the fide Feathers, as they gradually fhorten in Length, they gradually increafe in the 
Depth of their white Tips: The under Side, from the Sides of the Head and Throat 
to the BreafI, is of a pretty bright Brown, inclining to Orange; which Colour gra¬ 
dually changes in the Belly and Thighs to a dirty, yellowifh Brown, and ends in the 
Coverts beneath the Tail; the infide of the Wing Feathers, and the under Side of the 
Tail are of an Afh-colour, and lighter than they are on their upper Sides; the Legs are 
fhort in Proportion; the Toes ftand two forward and two backward ; it hath pretty 
flrong black Claws ; and both Legs and Feet are covered with black Scales. 
I fuppofe this Bird to be an alternate Inhabitant of the Southern Parts of Europe, and 
the Northern Parts of Africa ; fince it was fliot on its fuppofed PafTage, on the Rock of 
Gibraltar, in Spain, by an Englijh Officer there, who fent it to his Brother Mr. Mark 
Catesby, of London ; who obliged me with it, to make what Ufe of it I thought 
proper,. 
