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The Black Indian Cuckow. 
T his Bird is about the Size of our Black-Bird^ or Thrujlo.^ which 
is fmaller than the Cuckow that vifits us every Summer in En¬ 
gland: It hath its Head, I think, larger in Proportion than our Cuckowy 
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 
cxpreffed 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 fhining 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 fliort, but thick and ftrong, as are the Feet and Claws, all of a 
reddifh-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 refledled back; I have imagined, that thefe Fea¬ 
thers mufl: 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 Rave?ty 
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: PofTibly 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 Colledlion of Mr. Dandridge in 
Moorfieldsy London ; from whence my Draught was taken, 
rioe 
