An Australian Bird Book Part 30

F. 83. _Bucerotidae_, Hornbills, 71 sp.--4(4)A., 33(33)O., 34(34)E.

F. 84. _Upupidae_, Hoopoes, 6 sp.--2(1)O., 2(0)P., 4(3)E.

F. 85. _Irrisoridae_, Wood-Hoopoes, 12 sp. E.

F. 86. MEROPIDAE (1), BEE-EATERS, 41 sp.--5(4)A., 10(6)O., 2(0)P., 30(27)E.

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=224* Australian Bee-eater=, Rainbow Bird, Sandpiper (e), Kingfisher (e), Spinetail, Pintail, _Merops ornatus_, Cel., Lesser Sunda Is., Mol., A.

Mig. c. _open forests_ 10

Crown, back, inner-wing brownish-green; wing-quills orange-brown, tipped black; band on throat blackish; line below eye, lower-back blue; throat orange; tail black; two tail feathers longer; curved bill black: f., sim. Insects, very rarely bees.

F. 87. _Momotidae_, Motmots, 24 sp. Nl.

F. 88. _Todidae_, Todies, 7 sp. Nl. (West Indies).

F. 89. CAPRIMULGIDAE (3), NIGHTJARS, GOATSUCKERS, 124 sp.--11(8)A., 22(17)O., 10(4)P., 30(26)E., 11(5)Nc., 57(51)Nl.

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=225 White-throated Nightjar=, Night Hawk (e), Moth (Fern) Owl, _Eurostopus albigularis_, N.G., E.A., S.A.

[~225 _Eurostopodus albigularis._]

Stat. r. _open forest_ 13

Upper mottled, striped gray, brown; head darker; wings dark-brown marked gray, spotted buff, with white patch (see figure); white patch side of throat; under buff marked dark-brown; f., sim. Insects. Valuable nocturnal birds.

=226 Spotted Nightjar=, _E. argus_., Aru Is., New Ireland, A.

Stat. r. _open forest_ 12

Like 225, but uniform rusty-brown abdomen and under base tail; f., sim. Insects. Valuable, nocturnal.

F. 90. _Macropterygidae_, Tree-Swifts, 7 sp.--3(3)A., 4(4)O.

F. 91. CYPSELIDAE (4), SWIFTS, 103 sp.--11(7)A., 33(24)O., 9(1)P., 28(22)E., 4(0)Nc., 30(26)Nl.

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=227* Spine-tailed Swift=, _Chactura caudacuta_, Sib., j.a.p., China, to A., T., N.Z.

Mig. c. _upper air_ 7.5

Throat, forehead, back edge wing, flanks, under base tail white; wings, tail deep s.h.i.+ning-green; under, back grayish-brown; short tail ends in spines; f. smaller. Flying insects.

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=228 White-rumped Swift= (Australian), _Cypselus pacificus_, E. Sib., j.a.p., Indo-China to A., T., N.Z.

[~228 _Apus pacificus._]

Mig. r. _upper air_ 7

Upper brownish-black; rump, throat white; under brown; long forked tail; indistinct collar; f., sim. Flying insects.

F. 92. _Trochilidae_, Humming-Birds, 581 sp.--18 (5) Nc., 576(563)Nl.

F. 93. _Coliidae_, Mouse-Birds, 14 sp. E.

F. 94. _Trogonidae_, Trogons, 54 sp.--16(16)O., 4(4)E., 1(0)Nc., 34(33)Nl.

Few birds have attracted more notice, or have been more written about, than Cuckoos. To dwellers in lands with a dreary winter, the Cuckoo heralds the spring, so its call is most welcome. Then, too, the mysteries connected with its upbringing have proved of interest to all Nature and bird lovers. Its call, "Cuckoo," aptly described as the "most imitable of bird calls," has also a.s.sisted in making the bird a favorite.

The Pallid Cuckoo belongs to the same genus as the well-known Cuckoo of England. It also resembles that bird in appearance. Its note, however, is quite different. At times it seems to be endeavoring to run up a chromatic scale, so, in some districts, it is called the Scale Bird. At other times, after three running notes, it repeats one note strongly. So persistent is it in calling that it is called in places the Brain-fever Bird. Last September, in Castlemaine, it called all night in the street trees. Few, however, seemed to notice it, and fewer still knew what was uttering the persistent call.

Possibly other birds recognize the Cuckoo as an enemy, or possibly its remarkable superficial resemblance to a Hawk causes birds to chase it.

However, in some cases, possibly, the male Cuckoo does not object to being chased. He draws the birds away, while the female Cuckoo quietly places an egg in a convenient nest, and retires unmolested.

The Fan-tailed or Ash-colored Cuckoo is not so conspicuous, as it keeps to more secluded places, and is a solitary bird. Its flight is heavy and labored. It also has a habit of elevating and lowering its tail several times both before and after flight. Its frequent, plaintive, trilling note often reveals its presence, which would otherwise be overlooked.

The Brush Cuckoo is rare. In fact, considerable difficulty was experienced in obtaining a specimen for the photograph above, as there was no named specimen in the National Museum. Thanks to Messrs.

Kershaw and French, the difficulty was at last overcome.

The Bronze Cuckoos are very similar. They will be immediately recognized by the under-surface barred brown and white, and the golden-green or bronze l.u.s.tre of the dark back. The New Zealand Bronze-Cuckoo migrates from N.E. Australia and New Guinea. Apparently it sometimes migrates down the East Coast, instead of to New Zealand.

The Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoo has a narrower bill, and the centre tail feathers are brownish-chestnut at the base. While the birds are so similar, their eggs are quite unlike. The Bronze Cuckoo lays a bronze egg, generally in dome-shaped or covered nests. It is sometimes found in t.i.ts' nests. The Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoo has a red-speckled egg, which is placed often in an open or cup-shaped nest.

The last Cuckoo--the Channel-bill--is one of the largest of Cuckoos.

It is a northern bird, which very rarely reaches the southern part of the continent. Its large bill is characteristic. Its tail is large, and often spread out fanwise, thus giving a majestic appearance to the bird. Its call is not pleasing, as it is described by Gould as a "frightful scream," and again as consisting of "awful notes." It lays its eggs sometimes in the nest of a Sparrowhawk (not Kestrel), or in the nest of a Magpie, Bell-Magpie (_Strepera_), or even of a Crow. It appears with the first flood-waters, and follows the rivers from the Gulf of Carpentaria watershed down to Cooper's Creek and Lake Eyre.

One large Australian Cuckoo builds its own nest, and rears its own young. This bird, however, does not visit Southern Australia.

In addition to the interest of their habits and life history, Cuckoos are amongst the most valuable of insectivorous birds. Few birds will eat the vine caterpillar or hairy caterpillar. The Cuckoos, however, are very fond of these, and so should be encouraged. They do no harm to anything we need.

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[Ill.u.s.tration: [229] [230] [231] [232]]

ORDER XIX.--COCCYGES.

F. 95. _Musophagidae_, Plantain-eaters, Touracos, 35 sp. E.