N i l • $ 3 4
« ■ I n
Manner
'Place.
;KeST.
C U C K O W.
-whitilh ; the two following, on each fide, white, with brown tips,
and a black fpot on the inner webs at the bale; the outer one
lhorter than the reft, much as the laft, but the black fpot at the
bafe not very confpicuous.
The manners of this bird are-fingular, and worth notice.—
It is fuppofed to feed principally, or at leaft to be very fond of,
honey; and is of ufe, by its wonderful inftinft, for finding out the
places where the wild Bees hoard it up; which it difcovers to the
-Hottentots and Dutch in the following manner : The morningand
evening are the times of feeding; and it has a flirill note, which
-the Honey-hunters carefully attend to, and anfwer, from time to
time, till they have the bird in fight; on which it flies to the fpot
-where the bees have placed their ftore; after taking of which«
they leave their guide a portion for his pains. Dr. Sparrman,
who furnifhed this account, allures us, that he hasfeveral times
been at the taking-wild Bees nefts in this manner.; but could only
obtain two fpecimens, both females ; from which this defcription
was taken. It Ihould feem, that this bird is held in great veneration
by the Hottentots ; as he adds, that his killing them was attended
with the greateft indignation of thofe people.
This curious bird is an inhabitant of the interior parts of
.Africa, at a good diftance from the Cape o f Good Hope.
A neft which was Ihewn to Dr. Sparrman, for that of this
bird, was compofed of flender filaments of bark, woven together
in-the form of a bottle; the neck and opening hung downwards,
and a ftring, in an arched lhape, was fufpended acrofs the opening,
fattened by ..the two ends, perhaps for the bird to perch on.
iCucnliKS
C U C K O wj
S'35:
Cutulus vetula, Lit,. Syjl. i. p. 169. N»4.
Le Coucou a long bee de-la Jamaiqoe, Sr,/, on,. iv. p. 116. N» 5. pi. ,7.
f. Z.— P l. enls 772.
Le Tacco, Buf. oif% vi. p. 402.
Kcus feu Piuviae avis canefcens, &c. Rail Syn, p. 182. N° 13?
Another fort of Old Man, or.. Rain Bird, Shane Jam. p. 313. N<i
pi. 258. f. 2.
X m s *s a tf‘®e bigger' than a Blackbird : length more than
fifteen inches. Bill above an. inch and a half long: the
upper mandible black-.; the lower whitilh: crown- of the head
brown, the feathers-of it foft and filky:. the upper parts o f the -
body, and the quills, cinereous olive: throat and fore part.of the
neck whitilh ; the reft of the under parts rufous: the tail is much ;
euneated; the two-middle feathers cinereous olive, the others
dulky black,, tipped.-with white; the outer feather very Ihort;
legs blue-black.
Inhabits Jamaica;;where it is frequent in the woods and hedges,
all the year round. It feeds, on feeds, fmall worms, and caterpillars;
and is very tame. • Sloane mentions, that he found,, on
difie£tion,the ftomaeh o f a great fize, in refpeft to that of the
bird; a circumftance-1 have more than once obferved in the
European Cuckow.
This bird has the. name TaccoTrom -its-cry, which is like that
word ; the firft fyllable of this isi pronounced hardly, the'
other following in a full o&ave lower than the firft.. It has alfo ■
another cry, like qua, qua, qua, but that only when alarmed by an 1
enemy. As well as-infefts, it will alfo eat Lizards, fmall Snakes,.
Frogs, young Rats, and, fometimes, even fmall Birds. The Snakess
2 they,-
3Z -
LONGBILLED
RAIN-
C.
D escriptions
P lace and >
M anners. •