The northern part of Australia is the only locality in which this bird has been found; the specimens in my collection, as I learn from the labels attached, were killed in the month of January: whether it utters the word ‘Cuckoo’ or not I am unable to say, but it is most likely that in this respect it also closely assimilates to its European relative.
All the upper surface slaty grey; inner webs of the primaries broadly barred with white; tail-feathers dark violet-brown, with a row of oblong spots of white, placed alternately on either side of the stem, and slightly tipped with white; the lateral feathers have also a row of white spots on the margin of their inner webs; chin and breast light grey; all the under surface buffy white, crossed by bands of black; irides, bill and feet orange.
The Plate represents a male of the natural size.
CUCULUS INORNATUS: Vig. & Horsf.
J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith. Hullmandel & Walton Imp.
CUCULUS INORNATUS, Vig. & Horsf.
Unadorned Cuckoo.
Cuculus inornatus, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 297.
—— albostrigatus, Ib., p. 298. young.
Dju-dȕr-run, Aborigines of Western Australia.
Greater Cuckoo of the Colonists.