HI.ACK-I'.ILI.EJ) CUCKOO. 241 



Tlie Black-hillt'il (."lu^koo is ;i re<;ular .sunuiifr resident in ( )ntai-i<), 

 ■where it arrives about the cikI ot' .May, after wliich its peculiar note 

 may often be heard, especially l)efore rain, and its lithe, slim form be 

 seen gliding noiselessly among the (>vergi-eens. Though not an 

 abundant species, it is generally distributed throughout the Pro\ince, 

 and well known to the counti-y p(M)ple as the "rain-crow." 



The food of the cuckoos consists chiefly of caterpillars, with an 

 occasional change to ripe fruit in the season. They also stand 

 charged with suckitig the eggs of otliei- l)irds. They retii'e to the 

 south early in September. 



Of the two cuckoos the present species is the more common in 

 (Ontario, being more generally distributed. It also migrates a little 

 farther north, lia\ing been reported as a toleral)ly common resident 

 in Manitoba, where the other has not been observed. 



We have heard that the Yellow-billed Cuckoo occasionally shirks 

 the duties of incubation by leaving its eggs in the nest of another 

 bird, and now come three separate chai-ges of similar misconduct 

 against the present species. 



In the Report of the Ornithological Sub-section of the Canadian 

 Institute for 1S90, Dr. C. K. Clarke, of Kingston, Ontario, brings 

 ■forward three cases of jiarasitism in the Black-billed Cuckoo, of the 

 correctness of which there can l)e no doubt. 



The first birds Dr. Clarke ol)served being imposed upon were a 

 pair of chipping spairows, who raised the young cuckoo at the 

 expense of the family. 



Next came a j)air of yellow warl)lers, whose jirotajc soon ei'owded 

 out the legitimate occupants of the nest. They were raised fi-om the 

 ground and placed within reach, but the big boy i-equired all the 

 attention of the foster-parents, and the others died. During the 

 whole period, the old cuckoo was always to be found flitting aliout in 

 a restless manner, as if she had some doubt in regard to the ability of 

 the warblers to take care of her child. 



The third case was another pair of chipping span-ows, in whose 

 ]iest the cuckoo was observed sitting, and from which she did not 

 move till the- observers almost touched her. The I'esult was the same 

 as in the other cases. The young cuckoo threw the span-ows out as 

 -soon as he had strength to do so. 



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