. Birds of other lands, reptiles, fishes, jointed animals and lower forms;. Zoology; Birds; Reptiles; Fishes. PARROTS, CUCKOOS, AND PLANTAIN-EATERS 10 r alike, resemble the parents, and are black- likewise. With the cuckoo the case is different. The male and female are conspicuoush- difterent in coloration, the former being black, the latter brown. In such cases it is the rule for the yount,'- to wear the livery of the female. If this rule were adhered to in the case of the cuckoo, destruction would be more than probable, for the mynas would as likely as not destroy so outrageous a departure f
. Birds of other lands, reptiles, fishes, jointed animals and lower forms;. Zoology; Birds; Reptiles; Fishes. PARROTS, CUCKOOS, AND PLANTAIN-EATERS 10 r alike, resemble the parents, and are black- likewise. With the cuckoo the case is different. The male and female are conspicuoush- difterent in coloration, the former being black, the latter brown. In such cases it is the rule for the yount,'- to wear the livery of the female. If this rule were adhered to in the case of the cuckoo, destruction would be more than probable, for the mynas would as likely as not destroy so outrageous a departure from myna custom as a brown )'oungster. But the koel has proved equal to the occa- sion, by the simple expedient of attiring the young in the male instead of the female livery. Later on in life the rule for the exchange of plumage is reversed, and the young female doffs the temporary black dress of the male for the brown one of the adult female, instead of vice versd. All cuckoos, however, are not para- sitic, the species known as Lakk-heeled Cuckoos — from the presence of a long, spine-like claw on the hind toe — building a nest and hatching their own eggs. They have a wide range, being found in Africa from Egypt to Cape Colon}', Mada- gascar, India, China, New Guinea, and Australia. As a rule, the Cuckoos are not conspicuously coloured, but some species are clad in a livery resplendent with metallic colours. These are represented by the Indian and Australian BRONZE CuCKOOS and the African GOLDEN CuCKOOS. One of the most beautiful of all is the African EMERALD Cuckoo, in which the upper-parts are of a vivid emerald-green, whilst the under-parts are bright 3'ellow. Finally, we must mention the GrOLind-CUCKOOS, which are comparati\-el_\' long-legged, terrestrial forms, with small wings. One of the best known is an inhabitant of the Southern United States, from Texas to New Mexico, Southern Colorado, and California. " It has obtained the name of RoOD-RUNNER," writes
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecad, booksubjectfishes, booksubjectzoology
