2o6 The Irish Naturalist. 



After what has been said above on the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 

 our present subject can be dismissed with comparatively few 

 words. The two species are so alike in appearance and habits 

 that to point out some of the differences is all that will be 

 necessar}^ The birds are commonl}^ confused b}^ unscientific 

 observers, and cannot be distinguished except at ver}^ close 

 quarters. The subject of the present sketch is rather the 

 smaller of the two, he lacks the chestnut on the wings, and the 

 black and white of the lateral tail feathers is restricted and 

 obscure, with no bold contrasts between the colours ; the bill 

 is plumbeous and black, instead of yellow and black ; the eye- 

 lids are red, hence the unwieldy specific name. Otherwise the 

 plumage of the two birds is alike, so that when the wings and 

 tail are closed one has to be near enough to distinguivsh the 

 colour of the bill or eyelid to be certain as to the species. 



In nesting habits the same close relationship is noticeable. 

 The nest is similar, but the Black-billed more frequently builds 

 in low situations, such as bushes. The eggs can usually, but 

 not always, be distinguished with certainty ; they are smaller, 

 rounder, and deeper-coloured than the Yellow-billed's eggs. 

 For comparison we give the measurements of eggs of the two 

 species: — C. a?nerica7ms, length i-io to 1-40, breadth -83 to '98, 

 C. erythrophthahnus, length, 105 to 1.15, breadth *8o to '90. 

 The same irregularity as to time of laying is noticed in both 

 species. 



The cry of this bird is said to be less harsh and not so often 

 repeated as that of its near relative. Its habits, such as flight, 

 movements, food, time, and rapidity of migration, and localities 

 it most frequents, are very similar. There is, however, a 

 decided difference in geographical distribution, the Black-billed 

 being found only east of the Rocky mountains ; but what it 

 lacks in longitude it gains in latitude, as it ranges up into even 

 I^abrador, and is the only species found through most of the 

 BritivSh possessions. 



There is certainly a great absurdity in admitting a bird that 

 has only once occurred in Ireland as a straggler, to the Irish 

 list. While the occurrence is highly interesting, yet the in- 

 clusion of such names in a fauna are confusing and misleading. 

 Two species of the genus Coccyztcs are in the Irish list, and the 

 same two in the Iowa list, and yet to sa}^ that the genus does 

 .occur in Iowa, and does not in Ireland is nearer the truth. 



