=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. 1 34 =227* Spine-tailed Swift=, _Chactura caudacuta_, Sib., Jap., 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 shining-green; under, back grayish-brown; short tail ends in spines; f. smaller. Flying insects. 1 25 =228 White-rumped Swift= (Australian), _Cypselus pacificus_, E. Sib., Jap., 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 assisted 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.