92 
Mr. D. A. Barmerman on rare Birds ' [Ibis_, 
ClJCULUS CLAMOSUS. 
[■Cuculus clamosus Latham, Inch Orn. ii. Suppl. 1801, 
]). xxx—Type locality : Cape of Good Hope.] 
The South African Black Cuckoo is unfortunately not 
very well represented in the National Collection, as we have 
not any really young birds. We have twenty specimens 
from Cape Colony* Damaraland, Transvaal, Natal, Zambesi, 
and Southern Rhodesia ; also ten specimens from Nvasaland, 
which I consider must be included with the typical form. 
The juvenile and second plumage is apparently unknown, 
but we have a number of specimens showing the transition 
stage from the plumage just before the adult plumage is 
reached to the fully adult. In this not quite mature phase, 
of which we have twelve examples, the upper parts are 
already black, with a deep greenish-blue gloss as in adult 
specimens. The underparts, in what I take to be the three 
youngest examples before me (Reg. Nos. 89.6.25.1*12 and 
89.6.25.113), two from Durban, one from Kiugwilliams- 
town, are duskjr blackish-brown, irregularly barred and in 
one specimen almost mottled (so indistinct is the barring) 
with grey and rufous. The under tail-coverts are black, 
barred distinctly but narrowly with pale rufous and white. 
The Kingwilliamstown bird is probably the youngest 
example, as it has the outer webs of the primaries distinctly 
barred, while in the elder of the Durban birds the primaries 
are uniform as in the adult. 
From this plumage the birds gradually lose the barring 
on the underside ; in several specimens it is only faintly 
indicated, and finally all trace of markings are lost and we 
see the adult plumage as in a specimen (No. 8994) from 
Durban and a bird from Natal (No. 79.4.5.395). 
In one bird with almost uniform underparts but very 
heavily barred under tail-coverts there is a distinct indica¬ 
tion of rufous on the breast. 
I have purposely described specimens from South Africa 
(Natal and Cape Colony) as being undoubtedly typical, but 
