362 
Mr. Blythes Commentary 
is sure to be no other; again, it is the Chinese H. nisicolor 
nobis (J. A. S. B. xxx. p. 93); and I consider that C. flavi- 
ventris, Scopoli (founded on SonneraCs Coucou a ventre raye de 
VIsle de Panay), C. radiatus, Gm., H. pectoralis i Cab an is, and 
H. hyperythruSj Gould (B. As. pt. viii.), represent the mature 
plumage of the same species, which should accordingly stand as 
H. flaviventris (Scop.), from China, Philippines, Borneo, and 
Java, being probably also that noticed from Malacca by Mr. F. 
Moore (P. Z. S. 1859, p. 459). 
207. Hierococcyx sparyerioides. 
The H. strenuus, Gould (B. As. pt. viii.), from the Philippines, 
may yet prove to be only a remarkably fine specimen of H. 
sparverioides , which I have repeatedly seen in Malacca collections; 
but I nevertheless suspect that it will turn out a distinct race: 
the unique skin in the British Museum has unusually broad 
tail-feathers, but it at least requires to be confirmed as a species 
(or particular race) by the occurrence of additional specimens. 
There is also in the British Museum the unmounted skin of an 
adult received from Nipal, which is like H. sparverioides , but 
conspicuously smaller, the wing measuring 7 ’5 inches. This 
seems to me to exemplify even another distinct race, which I 
will provisionally call H. nisoides. These various Hawk-like 
Cuckoos have a nestling-plumage which considerably resembles 
that of Accipiter, being equally distinct from that of the 
Bhokatako-g roup, and from that of the group exemplified by 
C. canorus *. 
* Dr. Jerdon and I went carefully over an extensive series of Indian 
Cuckoos, and we quite agreed as to the species. I have since examined 
many other collections, inclusive of those in the British Museum, India 
Museum, the Derby Museum of Liverpool, the private collection of Mr. 
Wallace, and others, and find no reason to modify the opinions attained in 
Calcutta, except as regards the nomenclature in a few instances, which is 
now sufficiently in accordance with that adopted by Prof. Schlegel. 
The different races of Hierococcyx appear to me to be quite as distinct 
as are the different admitted species of Tetraogallus, Satyra, Phasianus, or 
Perdix cinerea, P. barhata , and P. hodysoniee, and therefore to have just 
the same claim to be separately recognized. Of the considerable num¬ 
ber of specimens that I have examined, I do not perceive that the different 
races of Hawk-like Cuckoos run into each other, and therefore I feel some 
