OXYLOPHUS GLANDARIUS.

Great Spotted Cuckoo.

Cuculus glandarius, Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 169

pisanus, Gmel. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p- 416
——— Andalusia, Briss. Orn., tom. iv. p. 126.

macrourus, Brehm, Vig. Deutschl., p. 153.

gracilis, Brehm, ibid., p. 154.
Coccyzus pisanus, Vieill. Ency. Méth. Orn., part i. p. 1349.
Coccysus glandarius, Savi, Orn, Tose., tom. i. p. 154.
Owylophus glandarius, Bonap. Geog. and Comp. List of Birds

: of Eur. and N,
Coccystes glandarius, Keys. et Blas. Wirbelth, Eur., p. 34, a Amer., p. 40.

Ir may seem an act of supererog
the Birds of Great Britain, since its native country is Africa, w
spring to Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Syria, and, after reproducing
the manner of the Common Cuckoo), departs southward
to render this work as perfect as possible up to the time of its com
my late friends Thompson and Yarrell, and given it
example having been captured in Ireland, and bec
time visited that country and even England,
favour us with their presence during some unusual wandering.

The following, with one or two verbal alterations, is Mr. Yarrell’s account of the above-mentioned

example :—The Great Spotted Cuckoo was taken near Clifden, in the county of Galway, about Christmas
1843, and is now in the Museum of Trinity College, Dublin. It was taken by two persons walking on the
Island of Omagh, where, pursued by Hawks, it flew for refuge into a hole in a stone fence or wall, was

captured alive, and lived for four days (attempts being made to feed it on potatoes). The inhabitants had
never seen any bird like it before. When chased by the Hawks, it appeared fatigued, weak, and emaciated,
as though it had taken a long flight—as Woodcocks and other birds of passage do on their first arrival.
This fine bird has especially attracted the notice of every ornithological traveller who has visited the
southern countries of Europe, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, and Palestine, many of whom have published
interesting notices respecting its peculiar habits and manners; and of these, not having myself had the
advantage of observing the bird in a state of nature, I shall make a selection of the more important, with
due acknowledgment.
The first correct account of the reproduction of this Cuckoo was inserted by Dr. A. E. Brehm in Cabanis’s
‘ Journal ftir Ornithologie.’ of which a translation by P. L. Sclater, Esq., appeared in the ‘ Zoologist’ for
1853, from which the following is an extract :—‘ It is well known to have hitherto been undecided whether
Cuculus glandarius sits upon its own eggs or not. Even I, notwithstanding my somewhat lengthened sojourn
in Africa, could for a long time learn nothing certain on the subject. I was well acquainted with the bird,
«its laughing Magpie-like cry and all its habits ; and I knew that it usually dwelt among the thick low mimosa-
woods, in which it is to be seen, generally in battle with another of its own species, as it ies quick as an
arrow through the thickest bushes. On the 5th of March, 1850, seven examples ete collected near Siut,
in Upper Egypt. Among them was a female with a fully developed egg in the oviduct. Unfortunately this
was destroyed by the shot; the broken fragments were bright green, with darker brown spots. On the 2nd
of March, ro noone later, I attentively watched the motions of a Great Spotted Cuckoo in a garden near

ee Neale ee : v Salicaria tree. After rather more
Thebes, and at last saw it slip into a large nest placed upon a rather lov Salicar a
out it flew again and departed from the garden ; I climbed up to the nest and found

than a quarter of an hour,
Among them I found two smaller ones

it to belong to Corvus cornix, and contaiming altogether six eggs. me ea
belonging to some other bird, but nearly resembling those of the Crow in size and co our. aving on
comparison found these eggs to agree with the fragments of the one taken from the oviduct of the female

“This discovery would have been quite sufficient to settle the question ;

above mentioned, Dr. Brehm says :-— ; Beier :
but on the 12th of March it was still further confirmed. In one of the village gardens, thickly planted with

clear-sounding but harmonious cry of an old Cuckoo, ‘ kiek-hiek-hiek-

trees, my attention was attracted by the é !
, ; after found a young one also, which was being fed and

kick,’ when I obtained two old birds, and soon

provided for by Hooded Crows.”

 

ation to include a figure and account of this curious Cuckoo in a work on

hence it migrates to a limited extent in
its kind (somewhat, but not precisely, after
again to winter in a warmer climate ; but, anxious
pletion, I have followed the example of
a place herein on the ground of an undoubted wild
ause I think it probable that others may have from time to
but have so far escaped detection, and that more may yet