YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, OR RAIN-CROW. 551 



§ 1. Tarsus about the Ungtii of the longest toe, knees feathered. 



YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, or RAIN-CROW, 



(Coccyzus americanus, Bonap. Audubon, pi. 2. Orn. i. p. 18. 

 Cuculus carolinensis, Wilson, iv. p. 13. pi. 28. fig. 1. C. ameri' 

 canns, L. Phil. Museum, No. 1778.) 



Sp. Charact. — Dark greyish-brown with bronzy reflections ; be- 

 neath white ; inner vanes of tlie primaries reddish cinnamon- 

 color ; the lower mandible yellow. 



The American Cuckoo arrives in the Middle and cold- 

 er States of the Union about the close of April or the 

 first week of May, but is scarcely known to the north of 

 Massachusetts. They probably winter in Mexico, and 

 some pass no farther than the forests of Louisiana.* La- 

 tham speaks of this species, also, as an inhabitant of the 

 tropical island of Jamaica. It delights in the shady re- 

 tirement of the forest, and is equally common in tall 

 thickets and orchards, where, like a piratical prowler 

 it skulks and hides among the thickest boughs ; and al- 

 though, unlike the European Cuckoo, they are faithfully 

 paired, yet the pair are seldom seen in the same tree, but 

 shy and watchful, endeavour to elude every thino- like 

 close observation. The male, however, frequently be- 

 trays his snug retreat by his monotonous and guttural 

 kow koio kow koiv, or koo koo koo koo, and ko kuk, ko kuk 

 koo koo koo kuk, koo ko koo, koo ko koo, uttered rather low 

 and plaintively, like the call of the Dove. At other times, 

 the koic koic kow, and 'tk Hk Hk Hk 'tak, or 'kh 'kh 'kli 'kh 

 'kah kow koiv kow kow, beginning slow, rises, and becomes 

 so quick as almost to resemble the grating of a watch- 

 man's rattle, or else, commencing with this call, termi- 

 nates in the distant cry of koto koic koic. From this note, 

 supposed to be most clamorous at the approach of rain, 



* Audubon, Orn. Biog. i. p. 19. 



