uncommon in the neighbourhood of Durban and Pinetown, at both
of which places he shot specimens. Mr. Ayres also observes:—
“ These birds are more active than G. smaragdineus, not remaining
so long in the same place; they also have the dipping flight of the
Wagtails, but do not call so frequently, and their note is not so loud.
They feed on caterpillars.” Only once did Mr. Andersson fall in
with it, when he shot a single specimen on the Swakop River in
Damara Land. Anchieta has procured it at Bibafla in Mossamedes,
and on the Cunene river.
Adult male.—Above metallic green, changing with the light to
fiery bronze and golden green; the sides of the face and of the neck
as well as the wings coloured like the back and subject to the same
reflexions; under surface of quills greyish brown, very numerously
and distinctly notched on the inner web with white; four middle
tail-feathers golden green, with a slight coppery reflexion, especially
towards the tips, the other feathers white, with a spot of golden
green near the tip of the outer web, and three or four of the same
colour on the inner web ; under surface of body pure white, with a
few broad longitudinal streaks of golden green on the upper thigh-
feathers, the sides of the upper breast also bright golden-green, like
the back ; “ bill dusky; legs pale; feet brownish olive; iris brown;
orbit veiy pale green” (Blanford). Total length, 7'0 inches; culmen,
0 7 ; wing, 4 T ; tail, 3'2 ; tarsus, 0'55.
Female.—Above brown, the head uniform; interscapulary region
barred with dull rufous ; rest of the upper surface barred with dull
rufous and metallic green, broader and more distinct on the wing-
coverts, narrower and less plain on the lower back, rump, and upper
tail-coverts; quills brown, the secondaries coloured like the back,
the primaries notched externally with pale rufous; under surface of
quills ashy brown, deeply notched with pale rufous on the inner web ;
tail brown, with a subterminal spot of coppery green on the centre
feathers, the next one glossed with copper-colour and notched externally
with pale rufous, the three outermost white, with a conspicuous
spot of coppery green near the tip, and more or less remains of
pale rufous notches and brown bars on the inner webs; ear-coverts
brown like the head; rest of under surface dull white, with narrow
brown cross lines, the sides of the upper breast uniform brown;
thighs barred with pale rufous and metallic green, like the back;
under wing-coverts pale rufous, with brown cross lines.
Fig. Levaill, Ois. d’Afr. v. pi. 218.
140. C occtstes GLANDARlus. Great Spotted Cuckoo.
This bird, which can be told from the other species by its ashy-
grey crest contrasting with the brown back, and by the white spots
on the wings, is a migrant from Europe, and is of rare occurrence
within the colony. - We have seen three specimens from Caffraria
and one was also contained in Captain Bulger’s Windvogelberg collection.
The British Museum possesses an example from Port
Elizabeth. Mr. Herbert Trevelyan of the 32nd Light Infantry procured
a single example at King William’s Town. Mr. Barratt has
also shown us a specimen which he shot in November, 1874, among
the mimosa bushes on Modder River: he says that they return there
every year. Numerous specimens were collected by the late Mr.
Andersson in Ondonga, and he says that it is not uncommon
during the wet season in Damara Land, and also about the river
Okavango. Anchieta has also forwarded it plentifully from Huilla
and Capangombe in Mossamedes, as well as from the river Cunene.
Adult male.—Above brown, somewhat inclining to olive-brown,
the scapulars slightly, the wing-coverts and inner secondaries more
conspicuously tipped with whitish; quills darker brown above, the
inner primaries narrowly edged with whitish at the tips, the inner
face of the quills whitish; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts
brown like the back, the outermost of the latter white on the outer
web, the inner ones tipped with white; tail brown, broadly tipped
with white; crown of the head and crest bluish grey, with narrow
blackish shaft-lines; sides of the face and hind neck rather darker
brown, the ear-coverts washed with grey; throat and chest yellowish
white, the former somewhat tinged with greyish, with indistinct
hair-like blackish shaft-lines; rest of under surface purer white, the
flanks shaded with greyish; under wing-coverts yellowish, the outer
ones and the axillaries white, the latter somewhat shaded with ashy;
bill brown, yellowish at base of lower mandible; feet bluish, shaded
with brown; iris pale brown. Total length, 15 inches ; culmen, IT ;
wing, 8T5 ; tail,.9; tarsus, 1.3.
Adult female.—Generally similar to the male, but having a faint
rufous tinge on the inner webs of the primaries.
Fig. Dresser, B. Europe, pt. xxviii.