558 ZYGODACTYLI. 



which is scarcely longer than the 4th ; the rest of the quills are again, 

 beyond the 4th, all regularly graduated to the secondaries ; there is 

 a strong tinge of cinnamon-brown edging about the centre of the 

 wing, and on the anterior edges of the larger coverts. Bill bluish- 

 black, the base of the lower mandible and ridge paler. Feet and legs 

 dusky-bluish, the former very short, and hidden with feathers which 

 surround the knee. The naked dull vermilion spot around the eye 

 is very characteristic ; it is also attributed to the C. vetula or Long- 

 billed Rain Cuckoo by Linnaeus, though not given at all in Buffon's 

 figure. In fact, the specific definition of Vetula applies wholly to 

 our bird, and may be it instead of the species quoted under this name 

 by Latham. Although there appears to be a difference in the meas- 

 urement of our bird from the C. dominicus of authors, Buffon gives 

 it nearly 12 inches, and Brisson saw a specimen from Louisiana 

 which could be no other than the present ; from his figure, however, 

 no conclusion can be drawn on the subject. 



§ II. Tarsus longer than the toes, and the knees naked. 



t MANGROVE CUCKOO. 



(Coccyzus Seniculus, Nobis. Cuculus Seniculus, Lath. Index i. 

 p. 219. No. 38. Ibid. Synops, ii. p. 537. No. 34. Buffon, pi. 

 Enlum. 813.) 



Sp. Charact. — Cinereous-olive; throat white, body below pale-ru- 

 fous ; lower mandible yellowish- white. 



This species, said principally to inhabit Cayenne, oc- 

 casionally visits the Southernmost States. Like the pre- 

 ceding, it lives upon insects, and is particularly fond of 

 the large caterpillars which prey upon the leaves of the 

 Mangrove, and in the dense forests of which it conse- 

 quently takes up its principal residence. This species I 

 have never seen, and introduce it only on the authority 

 of Vieillot. It is said to resemble the Rain-Bird of Ja- 

 maica {Coccyzus vetula) in almost every thing but size, 

 being only about 12 inches long. The bill, light-colored 

 below, is about 13 lines long (French measure), and the 

 tarsus 12. The tail is about 6 inches long, with the two 



