_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
CUCULUS CINERACEUS, _Vig. & Horsf._
Ash-coloured Cuckoo.
_Cuculus cineraceus_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p.
298.
—— _incertus_, Ib. p. 299, young.
—— _variolosus_, Ib. p. 300, very young.
_Barred-tailed Cuckoo_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iii. p. 310?
_Cuculus flabelliformis_, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xxx.?—Shaw, Gen.
Zool., vol. ix. p. 96?
_Fan-tailed Cuckoo_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 138. pl.
126?—Ib. Gen. Hist., vol. iii. p. 305. pl. lvii.?
_Du-laar_, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia.
_Lesser Cuckoo_ of the Colonists.
This is a migratory species, arriving in Van Diemen’s Land in September,
and after spending the summer months therein, departing to the northward
in January. In the southern parts of the continent of Australia solitary
individuals remain throughout the entire winter, as evidenced by my
having observed it in South Australia in July: I have never seen
individuals from the north coast; I therefore infer that its migratory
movements are somewhat restricted; in all probability the 26th degree of
latitude may be the extent of its range to the northward. During the
summer months, its distribution over the southern portion of the
continent may be said to be universal, but withal it is rather a
solitary bird and loves to dwell in secluded situations, where but for
its loud ringing call, which much resembles its aboriginal name, it
would easily escape detection.
It flies rather heavily, and on alighting moves the tail up and down for
some time; a similar movement of the tail also invariably precedes its
taking flight.
Like the other species of Cuckoo, it deposits its single egg in the nest
of some one or other of the smaller kinds of birds: it is of a perfectly
oval form, of a flesh-white sprinkled all over with fine spots of
purplish brown, nine or ten lines long by seven and a half lines broad.
The stomach is capacious, membranous, and lined with hairs; and the food
consists of the larvæ of insects of various kinds.
The sexes are alike in plumage, but the female is a trifle smaller than
her mate.
Head and all the upper surface dark slate-grey; wings brown, glossed
with green; tail dark glossy greenish brown, each feather toothed on the
edge with white, the extent of which gradually increases until on the
lateral feathers they assume the form of irregular interrupted bars; on
the edge of the shoulder a short narrow stripe of white; on the under
surface of the wing an oblique band of white; chin grey; under surface
ferruginous; bill black, except at the base of the lower mandible, where
it is fleshy orange; irides dark brown; eyelash beautiful citron-yellow;
feet yellowish olive.
The figures are of the size of life.
[Illustration:
CUCULUS INSPERATUS: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
CUCULUS INSPERATUS, _Gould_.
Brush Cuckoo.
_Cuculus insperatus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XIII. p. 19.
While traversing the cedar brushes of the Liverpool range on the 26th of
October, 1839, my attention was attracted by the appearance of a Cuckoo,
which I at first mistook for the _Cuculus cineraceus_, but which on
examination proved to be the new species here represented; this example
was the only one I ever saw living, and a single skin is all that has
since been sent to me from New South Wales; it must therefore be very
rare in the south-eastern portion of the continent, but it is doubtless
equally as common a few degrees to the northward. At Port Essington
there is a nearly allied species differing from the present in being
much smaller, and in having a browner tint on the under surface; to this
bird I have given the specific appellation of _dumetorum_; but as it
closely resembles the species here represented, it will not be necessary
to give a figure of it.
On comparison, this species will be found to differ from _C.
cineraceus_, for which it might be readily mistaken, in its smaller
size, in the more square form of the tail, and in that organ being
destitute of white markings on the outer webs of the feathers. In its
structure and colouring it will be found to depart from the true
_Cuculi_ and to approximate to the members of the genus _Chalcites_, and
in fact to form one of the links which unite the two groups.
Head, throat and all the upper surface dark slate-grey; back and wings
glossed with green; tail glossy brownish green, each feather tipped with
white, and with a row of triangular-shaped white markings on the margins
of the inner webs; primaries and secondaries with a patch of white on
their inner webs near the base; edge of the shoulder white; under
surface of the shoulder, vent and under tail-coverts rufous; remainder
of the under surface grey, washed with rufous; bill black; feet olive.
The figures are of the natural size.
[Illustration:
CHALCITES OSCULANS: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
CHALCITES OSCULANS, _Gould_.
Black-eared Cuckoo.
_Chalcites osculans_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XV. p. 32.
_Black-eared Cuckoo_, Colonists of Swan River.
Four examples of this species are all that have come under my notice—one
from Swan River, two killed by myself in New South Wales, and one in the
collection of H. E. Strickland, Esq. Judging from the little that I saw
of this species in a state of nature, its habits were those common to
the members of the genus in which I have placed it; thick shrubby trees
of moderate height appeared to be its favourite resort, and its food to
consist of insects obtained among the branches and from off the leaves,
and in search of which it hops about with stealthiness and quietude;
further than this, little is known respecting it. One of my specimens
was killed near Gundermein on the Lower Namoi, on the 24th of December
1839; but the true habitat of the species has not yet been discovered.
That it is confined to Australia is almost certain, but this can only be
verified by future research.
Although the structure of this bird evinces a slight departure from the
true _Chalcites_, and an affinity to that of the typical _Cuculi_, I
have retained it in the former genus because it possesses the stiff
rigid wings, short and square tail, and the luminous colouring of the
upper surface common to the other members of that group.
Mr. Gilbert, who once observed this bird in Western Australia, states
that it is very shy, and that he only met with it in the interior of the
country. It utters a feeble, lengthened and plaintive note at long
intervals. It flies slowly and heavily, and but short distances at a
time. The stomach is thin and capacious, and slightly lined with hairs.
Head, all the upper surface and wings glossy olive-brown, becoming
darker on the shoulders and primaries, and fading into white on the
upper tail-coverts; tail dark olive-brown, each feather tipped with
white, and the lateral one on each side crossed on the inner web with
five bars of white; ear-coverts black, encircled with white; under
surface of the wing, throat, breast and abdomen pale cinnamon-brown,
fading into white on the under tail-coverts; bill very dark brown;
irides dark blackish brown; tarsi and upper surface of the feet greenish
grey; under surface of the feet and the back of the tarsi mealy fleshy
grey.
The figures are of the natural size.
[Illustration: