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Show 590 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON THE CUCULIDAE [Julie 17, (Monteiro); Loanda (Toulson). S. A F R I C A : Cape Colony (Layard); Knysna (Victorin); Natal (Ayres). With regard to the bird described as the female I am following the usual information of collectors; but I am by no means certain that the sexes of these Golden Cuckoos are really different from each other, and I believe that the bird usually supposed to be the female is really the young. If the sexes do differ in plumage, it is an abnormality in the family, which would give additional weight to the generic separation of Chrysococcyx from Cuculus. The tiny nestling of the present species is in m y collection from Cameroons, and indicates the colours of the full-grown young bird very successfully. Another one, a little older, has white bars on the head; but this seems either an individual or sexual peculiarity, as it is also visible in another full-grown young example. The first metallic plumage, though complete, seems to be more bronzy in appearance than the fully plumaged bird ; and in this stage it was figured by Shaw in the ' Museum Leverianum,' and thence named by Mr. Gray G. splen-didus. In this first green dress remains of immaturity often appear, especially in the primaries, which are notched with white on the inner web, becoming gradually entirely white as the bird grows older. Thus it often happens that a specimen apparently quite old may still be proved to have not long quitted the immature dress by these white notches on the first or shortest primary. Gray's title of splendidus, though founded on the plate above alluded to without any indication of locality, has always been applied to the South-African bird, the distinctive character being the somewhat shorter tail. As will be seen by the accompanying measurements, the difference is so slight in some examples as to render it an unimportant character; and if the West-African and South-African birds are to be separated, C. intermedius from Gaboon must also be reinstated; and this would lead to great confusion where the characters are so slight. The plumage does not vary with locality; therefore it is better to consider that there exists only one species, but that the West-African examples are the finest, those from Gaboon are sometimes rather smaller, while those from South Africa are the least and have the shortest tails. Wing. Tail. 1. 6* • West Africa. Mus. Brit 4*5 4*8 2. <•? • West Africa. Mus. Brit 4*7 5*0 3. o*. Fantee. Mus. R. B. S 4*5 46 4. d • Fantee. Mus. R. B. S 4*3 5*2 5. J . Accra (Haynes). Mus. R. B. S 4*3 4*75 6. o*. R.Gambia. Mus. R. B. S 4*45 4*5 7. o*. Gaboon (Walker). Mus. R. B. S... 4*5 4*4 8. 6". Gaboon (Walker). Mus. B. B. S... 4*3 3*8 9. cS . S. Africa (Layard). Mus. R. B. S.. . 4*5 3*7 10. 6". Natal. Mus. Brit 4*2 3*5 11. 6*. Natal. Mus. Brit 4*2 3'7 |