1908] Excursions. 95 



Among the ferns gathered are the Christmas fern which 

 is just opening out its pale green bristly fronds; the Marginal 

 shield-fern; the delicate Beech-fern, and the graceful three-divided 

 Oak-fern. 



The Maples are represented by two species which never 

 become trees, and are not seen in the city. They prefer the moist 

 shady hillsides near streams. These are the Moosewood, Acer 

 peiiusylvaiiiciDn, which has a very large leaf for our woods, 

 and drooping greenish racemes; and the Mountain Maple, .4. 

 spicaiion, which has upright racemes while in flower, but they 

 become drooping in fruit." 



Following, Mr. Criddle spoke on the birds observed, which 

 included the Black-billed Cuckoo, pointing out that this species 

 is chiefly distinguishable from the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, both 

 of which are found in Eastern Canada, by the colour of the bill, 

 as their names imply; and that both build nests and rear their 

 voung, thus differing from the Old World species which lay their 

 eggs in the nests of other birds*; the Rub3'-throated Humming- 

 bird ; the Phoebe , whose plaintive cr}^ was heard ; the Rose-breasted 

 Grosbeak, mentioning that the male bird is of a brilliant black 

 and white with a rose coloured breast, whilst the female is dull 

 coloured and is therefore protected as she sits on her nest 

 unseen by enemies; the Reel-eyed Vireo; the Black-and-White 

 Warbler; the Yellow Warbler; the Oven-bird, commenting on 



♦Whilst it is true, as Mr. Criddle says, that our two species of Cuckoo 

 build nests and rear their young, still there are cases on record where they 

 have followed the habit of their congener, the European Cuckoo, Cuculus 

 canorits, and our own Cow-bird, Molothrns ater, by laying their eggs in 

 the nests of other birds; such as in those of the robin, cat-bird, mourning- 

 dove, and others. Futherniore, the black-billed cuckoo sometimes lays 

 eggs in the nest of the vellow-billed cuckoo and vice versa. There 

 seems indeed to be an erratic trait in the whole group of the cuckoos 

 which number some two hundred species of wide distribution, in the 

 manner of their doinestic proclivities. The nests of sonie are 

 rudely built, whilst others are of slender structure; and a nest may con- 

 tain at the same time eggs in various stages of incubation and hatched 

 out 3'oung ones. Owing to such irregular oviposition, it may not be 

 wondered at that the instinct of the bird might lead her sometimes to 

 drop an egg in the nest of some other bird, as by so doing a purpose m.ay 

 be served to the young bird in being reared in a nest where the depositing 

 of the full complement of eggs is attended by the regularity usual among 

 birds. An interesting instance of the domestic deviations of the cuck- 

 oos is that of the Ani, Crotophaga ani, a bird of South America and the 

 West Indies. It is said that a number of those birds form a community 

 among themselves and construct a huge nest in which the females in com- 

 mon lay their eggs, which number as inany as fourteen or more. .-Alto- 

 gether the cuckoos as a group appear to be very erratic and eccentric in 

 their manners of nest-building or non-nest-building, as well as in their 

 habits of depositing their eggs, or in attending to the wants of their young. 



