T A B . XLVIII.
CUCULUS CHRYSOCEPHALUS.
For the CharaBers of the genus Cuculus fee the defcription of Plate XXIV.
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS.
Cuculus capite luteo, pectore humerifque plumbeis, remigibus nigris, cauda fufco-flavefcente,
fafciis numerofis nigris.
S P E C I F I C CHARACTER.
Cuckow with yellow head, lead-coloured breail and ihoulders, black remiges, and yellowbrown
tail with numerous black bars.
AMONGST the numerous Ipecies of this genus it may be doubted whether any can exceed in
elegance the bird here reprefented. It is a native of South America, and appears to be a late
acquifition in ornithology. The head is of a rich yellow or gold-colour; the upper part of the
neck and ilioulders of a blueiih aih-colour: the larger wing-coverts of a deeper colour; the
remiges, or long wing-feathers, black: the lower part of the back pale brown; the rump ftrawcolour;
the tall pale yellowiih brown, crofled with numerous dulky bars: the breail and upper
part of the belly are aih-colour undulated with brown; the vent and thighs are white: the eyes
are feated in an oblong patch of black: the bill and legs are dark brown. The beautiful goldcolour
on the head of this bird would alone be fufficient for its ipecific chara6ter, could we
but be certain that the iimie particular mark occurred in both fexes. In the well-known European
Cuckow the difference of plumage between the young birds and thofe of advanced age
is peculiarly ftriking: whether fo great a diverfity may take place in many of the exotic fpecies
is a point which future enquiry mufl: determine. The manners of the European Cuckow are
in the higheil degree fmgular; the female making no neft, but (for fome reafon in the oeconomy
of nature hitherto unexplored) depofiting her eggs in the nefts of other birds, and thofe
much fmaller birds than herfelf. A fuigle egg is depofited in each neft; the eggs are hatched
and the young birds reared by the indefatigable care of the refpeftive deluded nurfes; after the
ejeftion of the real offspring by the young cuckow, who very foon employs his ilrength in
lifting them one by one on his back, and carting them over the edge of the nert. Whether any
other fpecies of the genus Cuculus purfues a praflice fo widely deviating from the genera! rules
of nature is ftill unknown.