O X Y L O P H U S G L A N D A R I U S .
Great Spotted Cuckoo.
Cuculus glandarius, Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 169.
-----------pisanus, Gmel. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 416.
-----------Andalusia, Briss. Om., tom. iv. p. 126.
■ . - - ■■ ■ macrourus, Brehm, Vög. Deutschl., p. 153.
-----------gracilis, Brehm, ib., p. 154.
Coccgzus pisanus, Vieill. Ency. Meth., Orn., part iii. p. 1349.
Coccysus glandarius, Savi, Om. Tosc., tom. i. p. 154.
Oxylophus glandarius, Bonap. Geog. and Comp. List of Birds of Eur. and N. Amer., p. 40.
Coccystes glandarius, Keys, et Bias. Wirbelth. Eur., p. 34.
It may seem an act of supererogation to include a Ggure and account of this curious Cuckoo in a work on
the Birds of Great Britain, since its native country is Africa, whence it migrates to a limited extent in
spring to Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Syria, and, after reproducing its kind (somewhat, but not precisely, after
the manner of the Common Cockoo), departs southward again to winter in a warmer climate; hut, anxious
to render this work as perfect as possible up to the time of its completion, I have followed the example of
my late friends Thompson and Yarrell, and given it a place herein on the ground of an undoubted wild
example having been captured in Ireland, and because I tbink it probable tbat others may have from time to
time visited that country and even England, hut have so for escaped detection, and that more may yet
favour us with their presence during some unusual wandering.
The following, with one or two verbal alterations, is Mr. Yarrell's account of the above-meutioned
example':—The Great Spotted Cuckoo was taken near Clifden, in the county of Galway, about Christmas
1843, and is now in the Museum of Trinity College, Dublin. It was taken by two persons walking on the
Island of Omagh, where, pursued by Hawks, it flew for refuge into a hole in a stone fence or wall, was
captured alive, and lived for four days (attempts being made to feed it on potatoes). The inhabitants had
never seen any bird like it before. When chased by the Hawks, it appeared fatigued, weak, and emaciated,
as though it had taken a long flight—as Woodcocks and other birds of passage do on their first arrival.
This fine bird has especially attracted the notice of every ornithological traveller who has visited the
southern countries of Europe, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, and Palestine, many of whom have published
interesting notices respecting its peculiar habits and manners s and of these, not having myself had the
advantage of observing the bird in a state of nature, I shall make a selection of the more important, with
due acknowledgment. f . t
The first correct account of the reproduction of this Cuckoo was inserted by Dr. A. E. Brehm, in Cabams s
‘ Journal fur Ornithologie,’ of which a translation by P. L. Sclater, Esq., appeared m the ‘ Zoologist for
1853, from which the following is an e x t r a c t « It is well known to have hitherto been undecided whether
Cuculuithndarm sits upon its own eggs or not. Even I, notwithstanding my somewhat lengthened sojonrn
in Africa, ebuld for a long time learn nothing certain on the subject. I was well acquainted with the bird,
its laughing Magpie-like cry and all its habits; and I knew that it usually dwelt among the thick low munosa-
woods in which it is to he seen, generally in battle with another of its own species, as it flies quick as an
arrow’thron.il the thickest hushes. On the 5th of March, 1850, seven examples were collected near Sint,
in Upper Egypt. Among them was a female with a fully developed egg in the oviduct. Unfortunately this
was destroyed by the shot; the broken fragments were bright green, with darker brown spots. On the 2nd
of March, two years later, I attentively watched the motions of a Great Spotted Cuckoo 111 a garden near
Thebes and at last saw it slip into a large nest placed upon a rather low Salicarla tree. After rather more
’ than a quarter of an hour, out it flew again and departed from the garden; I climbed up to the nest and found
it to belong to Conns cormx, and containing altogether six eggs. Among them I found two smaller ones
belonging to some other bird, but nearly resembling those of the Crow in size and colour. Having on
comparison found these eggs to agree with the fragments of the one taken from the oviduct of the female
above mentioned, Dr. Brehm s a y s “ This discovery would have been quite sufficient to settle the question ;
but on the 12th of March it was still further confirmed. In one of the village gardens, thickly planted with
trees my attention was attracted by the clear-sounding but harmonious cry of an old Cuckoo, j kiek-kiek-kiek-
kiek: when I obtained twh old birds, and shon after found a young oiie also, winch was being fe d and
provided for by Hooded Crows.