American Bird- Visitors to Ireland at Home. 205 



tory reason for this habit seems unknown as yet, as with the 

 still more curious parasitic habits of many of the Old World 

 Cuckoos, with which it has probably some connection. 

 Though not parasites, there seem to be well authenticated 

 instances of an 0.%% of the American Cuckoo being slipped 

 into the nest of some other bird. During the nesting season, 

 both birds are very solicitous as to the safety of the nest, and 

 in caring for the young. 



The favourite food of this bird seems to be caterpillars, and 

 most stomachs I have examined were well filled with them ; 

 it also eats other insects, and may sometimes be seen on the 

 ground picking up grasshoppers ; in the fall it occasionally 

 indulges in fruit, and berries of various kinds. It has been 

 accused of robbing other birds' nests, but whether with an}' 

 more justice than in the case of Cnculus canorus I do not know. 

 The common name for both our species of Cuckoo is " Rain- 

 crow" because their call is said to foretell rain ; such wide- 

 spread popular beliefs are apt to have a basis of truth, but the 

 call is heard during dry weather as well as wet, and the mating 

 season, when they are most noisy, is also the most showery 

 time of year. From the call, the name " Cowbird," is some- 

 times given to them, but they must not be confused with the 

 true Cowbird, a member of the American famil}^ IcteridcE, and 

 which is, I believe, the only bird besides some of the cuckoos 

 that is known to be parasitic in its habits. 



Above, this bird is a bright olive-brown, with a peculiar 

 satiny gloss showing a greenish tinge in some lights ; below, 

 pure white, excepting the two central feathers, which are like 

 the back. The tail becomes almost black, w4th broad white 

 tips ; the wings have a patch of light chestnut, not very 

 noticeable till the wing is opened ; the bill is yellow at the base 

 and below. 



IV. The B1.ACK-BII.1.ED Cuckoo {^Coccyzus erythrophthalmus^. 



The Black-billed Cuckoo introduced himself to the fauna of 

 Europe by turning up at I^ucca, Italy, in 1858. On only one 

 other occasion has his name appeared as a visitor to Europe, 

 when he claimed for himself the right to an article in his 

 honor in the Irish Naturalist, by appearing at Killead, Co. 

 Antrim, on the 25th September, 1871. 



B 



