greenish gloss; quills brownish, the secondaries slightly glossed with
greenish in some lights, the inner web broadly and numerously
barred with white, these white bars, however, not occupying more
than two-thirds of the quill ; tail blackish, tipped with white, the
centre feathers showing an indication of a tiny white spot along the
shaft, a little plainer on the three outer ones, becoming larger
towards the outermost, the four external feathers also minutely
spotted with white on the inner web, these also increasing in size
towards the outer feather, at the base of which they form irregular
bars : sides of the face, entire throat, and fore neck pale blue-grey;
rest of the under surface of the body white, transversely barred with
rather narrow lines of greyish black; vent and under tail-coverts
whiter, indistinctly barred with blackish, the bars on the longer tail-
coverts broader, but further apart; under wing-coverts white, shading
into greyish on the edge of the wing and lower coverts; bill horif-
black, with a little yellow at the gape and on the base of the lower
mandible; feet yellow, nails brownish ; iris and eyelid yellow. Total
length, 18 inches; culmen, 1-15; wing, 8'8 ; tail, 7'5 ; tarsus, 09.
Fig. Levaill. Ois. dJAfr. v. pis. 202, 203.
134. C u c u l u s g u l a r i s . South African, Cuckoo.
As mentioned on the preceding page the white bars on the outer
tail-feather distinguish this Cuckoo, which is otherwise a close ally
of G. canorus; its yellow nostrils are also a good character. It is rare
near the sea-coast, but becomes more plentiful towards the interior
of South Africa. Le Yaillant records it from Caffraria. During his
recent excursion to the Matabili country, Mr. T. E. Buckley only
observed it once, on the Biver Meathly in BamangwatO, on the 24th
of October, 1873, when he thinks it was on migration. He adds :__
“ It is shy and restless, continually flying from one tree to another,
generally in the same line of flight. It flies like our common
Cuckoo, but more deliberately; its note, too, in the same manner, is
more slowly uttered, the first syllable not being in such a high
key.”
Mr. Andersson writes :—“ This Cuckoo is pretty common in the
rainy season throughout Damara Land, and in some parts of Great
Namaqua Land. Its flight is very rapid and zig-zag; but it does
not move far at a time, usually taking refuge, after being disturbed,
in the nearest convenient tree.” He also procured a specimen in
Ondonga, and Anchieta has met with it at Humbe on the Cunene
Biver.
Adult male.—Above bluish grey, rather glossed with brownish on
the head and back, and decidedly clearer grey on the rump and
upper tail-coverts, the lateral feathers of the last-named being
transversely spotted and barred with white ; wing-coverts dark
greyish-brown, primary coverts and quills rather darker, especially
the secondaries, which are glossed with greyish, the inner webs very
distinctly barred with white; tail ashy grey, the outer feathers
browner and all tipped with white, before which a distinct blackish
bar crosses the end of the tail, this being much more distinct when
viewed from underneath; the centre feathers marked with longitudinal
drops of white along the shaft, these increasing in extent
towards the outer feathers, which are also notched or spotted
with white on the inner web, until on the last they form more or
less perfect bars across the feather; sides of the face and entire
throat bluish grey, rather lighter on the lores and fore part of the
cheeks, the fore neck tinted with pale russet; remainder of under
surface creamy white, transversely barred with greyish brown, these
bars becoming more zig-zag in shape on the under tail-coverts;
under wing-coverts white, with irregular cross markings of grey ;
axillary plumes white, barred like the breast; bill yellow on the
lower mandible and on the base of the upper one, including the
nostrils, becoming blackish on the edge of the culmen and the tip of
both mandibles; feet yellow. Total length, 12 inches; culmen, 1-0;
wing, 8-5; tail, 6‘5 ; tarsus, 0‘85.
Fig. Levaill. Ois. d’Afr. v. pis. 200, 201.
135. C u c u l u s s o l i t a r i u s . Bed-chested Cuckoo.
This Cuckoo, known among the colonists by the name of “ Pietmijn-
vrouw,” from its call resembling these words, is a periodical visitant
over the whole colony, extending even as far as the Cape peninsula.
Mr. Atmore informs us that in 1870, the first specimen of this
Cuckoo was observed at George, on the 13th September; in our
experience they generally made their appearance near Cape Town
from November up to Christmas time, and Victorin records it from
the Knysna in October and November. It has been sent from Natal