Plate. Y.
1. CEUTHfflOCHARES AUSTRALIS.
2. ÆREUS.
CEUTHMOCHARES a u s t r a l is . 161
Mr. Ayres says that it appears in Potchefstroom about November,
and leaves again before the winter sets in. Although the
occurrence of the bird in Damara Land proved to have been
erroneously recorded, the present species is most probably found
there, as Senor Anchieta has procured it at Biballa in Mossamedes.
Adult male.—Above glossy greenish black, with a long crest of
the same colour : under surface of body also greenish black, but a
little duller than the back ; quills brownish, the secondaries glossed
with green like the back, the primaries white at the base of both
webs, forming externally-a very large alar speculum ; tail greenish
above, inclining to purplish brown underneath ; bill black ; tarsi
slate coloured ; iris nearly black. Total length, 12 '5 ; culmen, l ’O ;
wing, 6'15 ; tail, 7-6 ; tarsus, 1‘05.
Fig. Levaill. Ois. d’Afr. v. p-. 39, pi. 207.
144. C euthmochares a u s tr a l is . South African Ooucal.
( P late V., fig. 1.)
Z anclo&tomus aereus, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 247.
In a paper on the African Cuckoos, (P. Z. S. 1874, p. 509,) thé
editor pointed out that the Coucal of South Africa is a distinct species
from G. aeneus of Western Africa, (Plate "V., fig. 2,) as will be
seen by reference to the plate ; instead of having a purple tail, this
organ is green in the southern bird.
It is an inhabitant of Natal, where Mr. Ayres says that it “ is rather
a rare bird, and frequents the dense bush, where it creeps about like
the Colies. Its habits resemble those of Centropus superciliosus,
but it is not so active. It feeds on locusts and large grasshoppers/’
Captain Shelley writes : “ I shot two specimens at Durban, where
they frequent the upper branches of the higher bush, rendering it
very difficult to see through the thick foliage.” Captain Watson
informs us that he found it rather common on the Umgeni River.
Dr. Kirk states that it is found in the Zambesi, where it is a native
of the plains.
Adult.—Head and hinder part of neck ashy grey, with a slight
wash of olive; back dull metallic olive-green, shading into oily
green on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; wing-coverts uniform
with the back, as also are the quills, the under surface of the wing
being ashy brown with a very faint shade of greenish ; tail metallic
M