OCR Text |
Show 588 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON THE CUCULID.E [June 17, Cuculus nigricans, Sw. Zool. Illustr. 2nd ser. vol. i. pl. 7 (1829); id. B. W . Afr.ii.p. 180(1837); Gray, Gen.ofB. ii. p. 463(1847); Hartl. J. f. O. 1854, p. 416 ; id. Orn. W . Afr. p. 190 (1857) ; Gurney, Ibis, 1859, p. 246 ; Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. iv. p. 441 (1862). Surniculus nigricans, Bp. Consp. i. p. 105 (1850). Cuculus chalybeus, Heugl. J. f. O, 1862, p. 34. Coccystes nigricans, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. iv. p. 44, note (1862) ; Gray, Hand-1. B. ii. p. 220 (1870). Coccystes serratus (pt.); Sharpe, Cat. Afr. B. p. 13(1871, err.); id. Ibis, 1872, p. 68. Oxylophus serratus, Gurney ed. Anderss. B. Dam. Ld. p. 226 (1872, ex Sharpe, err.). Adult male.-Above glossy greenish black, with a slight shade of dull indigo on the interscapulary region; quills brown, the primaries whitish near the base of the inner web, where there are remains of brownish bars, the innermost secondaries greenish black like the back ; tail greenish black, tipped with white, all the feathers more or less inclining to brown on the inner webs; under surface of body black, with a slight greenish gloss, not so glossy as the back, some of the under tail-coverts tipped with brownish white; bill black; feet yellow, claws black ; iris dark brown. Total length, 12 inches; culmen 0*95; wiug 7*2; tail, 6*2; tarsus 0*75. Young.-Much browner than the adult, the wings paler; the under surface dusky, with remains of rufous bars on the chest, and of fulvous cross markings on the breast, the under tail-coverts tipped with white, and crossed with deep ochre bars; tail tipped with white, with indications of buffy white bars, nearly obsolete. An apparently very young bird in m y collection from Fantee has all the feathers narrowly edged with whitish, the breast white, with broad transverse cross bars of black, the inner web of the primaries barred with white, and the tail also spotted with white; bill horn-brown, yellowish brown on the under mandible. N. E. A F R I C A : only in one locality in the Anseba valley, in August and September, not noticed in May and July (Heuglin). W . A F R I C A : Denkera (Ussher), Elmina, in April, and Amamoo, in May 1872 (Blissett). S. W . A F R I C A : Biballa (Anchieta) ; Elephant Vley, Damara Land, Oct. 19 and Nov. 8, 1859 (Andersson). S.E. A F R I C A : Natal (Ayres) ; Eland's Post and the Katberg (Atmore). It seems that G. nigricans of Western Africa is inseparable from C. clamosus of South Africa. I fancied at first that the latter was a trifle the larger bird; but on examining my series, which is very complete, I find that although one of the Fantee examples measures only 6*5 in the wing, another measures 7*0, which surpasses some of the South-African specimens. I have explained the cause of error by which this species came to be included by Mr. Gurney (I. c.) under the head of Coccystes serratus, in a note on the latter bird. 8. CUCULUS SMARAGDINEUS. Cuculus cupreus, Shaw (nee Bodd.), Mus. Lever, p. 157 (1792) |