of the District of Montreal. 347 



Genus Cuculus. 

 Gen. char. Bill as long as the head, compressed and curved, 

 and carinate above and below ; nostrils basal, lateral, oval, and 

 surrounded by a naked and prominent membrane ; tarsi feathered 

 below the knee ; feet slender ; outer toe versatile ; interior and 

 middle connected at base ; tail cuneiform ; 3rd primary longest. 



C. Dominicus. St. Domingo Cuckoo. 

 Coccygus Dominicus of Nuttall ! 

 Cuculus erythroptTialmus of "Wilson ! 

 Coccygus erytJiroptliahnus. Baird ! 

 v.s.p. Bill, feet and legs bluish black; irides light hazel; 

 eggs 3 to 5, bluish green. 



Dorsal aspect. Over the whole surface light bronze colour, 

 exceedingly glossy ; tail cuneiform, of the dorsal tint, tipped 

 with white. 



Ventral aspect. White, tinged with bronze on the chin and 

 throat ; wing and tail coverts yellowish white. 



A naked space round the eyes of a vermillion colour ; 3rd 

 primary longest ; 4th next ; 2nd shorter than the 6th ; 1st equal 

 to the secondaries. Length 11^ inches ; alar expanse 14^ inches. 

 This bird does not appear to possess the characteristic of other 

 cuckoos ; viz., in laying her eggs in the nests of other species, but 

 on the contrary, prepares her own nest, hatches her own eggs, 

 and tends her young ones with the most maternal anxiety. It is 

 addicted however to the practice of sucking the eggs of other 

 birds. 



Coccygus Americamts. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. 

 Cuculus Carolinensis. Wilson, 

 v.s.p. ET M. Upper part of upper mandible, and tip of lower 

 black; lower part of upper, and all the lower except the tip 

 yellow ; irides hazel ; eggs 2 to 4, bluish-green. 



Dorsal aspect. Whole dorsal aspect greyish-brown, with grey- 

 ish-bronzy reflections, which are almost absent on the tail coverts. 

 Two middle tail feathers of the dorsal tint, all the others black- 

 ish. The 3 exterior feathers largely, 4th minutely, lipped with 

 white ; the outer tail feathers half the length of the middle ones ; 

 the greater portion of the vanes of the primary, and nearly all 

 the secondaries, bright rufous colour. 



Ventral aspect. White. The two central tail feathers whitish, 

 tipped with black. The rufous part of the rings is scattered be- 



