small copse, out of which it was with much difficulty hunted, when it darted through an open door into the
kitchen and concealed itself behind a box.

‘The males are very pugnacious, and in their manner of fighting remind me of the game-cock, depress-
ing and elevating the head, imitating each other’s actions, &c. &c.

‘¢ Of its nidification nothing is known.

‘Native name, dban-cuccula. Cucculo is the general name for all fowls, male birds; cuccula is female ;
and kkih is plural.”

The male has the feathers of the head black, with a fine line of white down the centre of each, becoming
almost obsolete on the centre of the crown; feathers of the back of the neck black, with a line of white
down the centre of each, commencing in a fine point at the base of the feather, gradually but slightly
increasing in breadth towards and ending near the apex; feathers of the shoulders and scapularies deep
chestnut, freckled with black, and having a broad oblong mark of black down the centre, within which is a
lengthened white line as on the neck; lower part of the back deep chestnut, minutely freckled with black
at the tip of each feather; lesser wing-coverts black, bordered with chestnut at the base and a small drop-
like spot of buffy white near the tip; primaries brown ; remainder of the wing deep chestnut, freckled with

. black, and at the tips of the greater coverts a pear-shaped mark of black, within which is a similar mark of
whites upper and under tail-coverts black; tail rich purplish black; feathers of the throat, breast and
abdomen black, with a pear-shaped mark of white near the tip, which mark becomes more elongated as the
feathers proceed downwards, until on the flanks they assume a similar but boider form than the lines on the
back of the neck; on the lower part of the abdomen and thighs they again become of a more rounded
form, but are much less conspicuous; bill and orbits beautiful red ; irides dark brown ; legs and feet red.

The female has the entire plumage deep chestnut, paler on the under surface and minutely freckled with
brown, especially on the secondaries and upper tail-coverts ; tail purplish black ; bill, orbits, eyes, legs and
feet as in the male, but not quite so rich in colour.

The figures in the accompanying Plate are of the natural size.

a SE FS ST