528 CUCULID. 
America we find two fairly distinct forms of this bird occupying for the most part 
distinct districts, and we treat them as different species, so that, with P. minuta, which 
occurs at the extreme southern end of our fauna, and P. melanogaster of South America, 
we recognize four forms in all, which is one more than is admitted by Capt. Shelley. 
The northern range of the genus extends to the Mexican State of Tamaulipas on one 
side to that of Sinaloa on the other, and thence spreads southwards, and to a height of 
about 5000 feet in the mountainous districts. 
The bill of Piaya is much like that of Coccyzus in its general shape and curvature, 
but is shorter and stouter; the nostrils are oval openings at the lower edge of the nasal 
fossa; the wings are short and rounded, the sixth quill being the longest, the third 
falling far short of the extremity; the primaries themselves do not project much 
beyond the secondaries, and the whole wing when closed fits compactly to the body; the 
tail is very long, and composed of wide, curved, soft feathers; all but the middle pair 
are distinctly tipped with white, and the lateral pair are little more than half the 
middle pair; the eyelashes are simple strong bristles, without barbs as in Coccyzus. 
1. Piaya cayana. 
Cuculus cayanus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 170°; Licht. Preis-Verz. Mex. V6g. p. 1 (cf. J. f Orn. 
1868, p. 55)*; Wagl. Isis, 1831, p. 524°. 
Piaya cayana, Less. Traité d’Orn. p. 140*; Lawr. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 83°; Sumi- 
chrast, La Nat. v. p. 289°; Salv. Cat. Strick]. Coll. p. 4417; Ibis, 1889, p.372°; Boucard, 
P. Z. S. 1883, p. 454°; Ferrari-Perez, Pr. U.S. Nat. Mus. ix. p. 162°; Ridgw. Pr. U.S. 
Nat. Mus. x. pp. 582,591"; Stone, Pr. Ac. Phil. 1890, p. 206°; Shelley, Cat. Birds 
Brit. Mus. xix. p. 373 (partim) ™. 
Piaya mexicana, Scl. P.Z. 8.1856, p. 308"; 1858, p.3859°°; Moore, P. Z. 8. 1859, p. 607"; Sel. 
& Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 183". 
Piaya melheri, Bp. Consp. Av. i. p. 110"; Scl. P. Z. S. 1864, p. 177”; Lawr. Ann. Lyc. N. Y. ix. 
pp. 128”, 205”; Salv. Ibis, 1866, p. 204”; P. Z.S. 1867, p. 156; 1870, p. 211”; Ibis, 
1872, p. 823"; Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1867, p. 280 ; 1870, p. 887%; v. Frantz. J. f. Orn. 
1869, p. 861”; Boucard, P. Z. 8. 1878, p. 48%; Sumichrast, La Nat. v. p. 239°. 
Pyrrhococcyx melheri, Cab. J.£. Orn. 1862, p. 167 *. 
Piaya cayana metheri, Nutting, Pr. U. 8S. Nat. Mus. v. p. 401; vi. pp. 876, 388°; Ridgw. Pr. 
U.S. Nat. Mus. v. p. 498°; Zeledon, An. Mus. Nac. Costa Rica, 1887, p. 123°"; Cherrie, 
Auk, 1892, p. 326°; Richmond, Pr. U.S. Nat. Mus. xvi. p. 517. 
Piaya thermophila, Scl. P. Z. 8. 1859, p. 8368; Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1860, p. 43“. 
Piaya nigricrissa, Scl. P. Z.S. 1860, p. 285 **; Lawr. Ann. Lye. N.Y. vii. p. 8300“; viii. p. 175“; 
Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1864, p. 366 *. 
Piaya ridibunda, Lawr. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 33“°; Sumichrast, La Nat. v. p. 239%. 
Supra castaneus, capite summo fuscescentiore ad frontem pallidiore: subtus gutture toto pallide rufescente ; 
abdomine griseo, ventre imo, tectricibus subcaudalibus et tibiis griseo-nigricantibus ; alis et cauda dorso 
concoloribus paulo saturatioribus, remigum apicibus fusco-nigricantibus, subalaribus pallide griseis ; caude 
rectricibus mediis ad apicem nigris, apicibus ipsis albis, rectricibus reliquis supra rufescentibus ad apicem 
nigris et albo terminatis, subtus omnino nigris, apicibus tantum albis; rostro flavescenti-viridi ad basin 
