452 THE CALIFORNIA CUCKOO. 



them. The lady is disposed to be critical at first, and backs away in 

 apparent indifference or flies off to another limb in the same tree. This is 

 onl\' a fair test of gallantry and provokes pursuit, as was expected. Hour 

 after hour, and it may be day after day, the suit is pressed by one and 

 another until the maiden indicates her preference, and begins to respond in 

 kind by noflding and bowing and swaying before the object of her choice, 

 and to i:)our out an answering flood of softly whispered adulation. The best 

 of it is. h(_)we\er, that these affectionate demonstrations are kept up during 

 the nesting season, so that even when one bird relieves its mate upon the 

 eggs it must needs pause for a wln'le outside tlie nest to how anfl swa\- and 

 swap compliments. 



The Northwestern Flicker is largel}-. but not exclusively, resident in 

 winter. Being restricted at that season as to its insect diet, its presence 

 appears to depend more or less upon the abundance of fruits and nuts. It 

 eats not onlv grubs and worms but seeds, acorns and berries i)f various kinds. 

 The fruit of the madrone appears to Ije a special favorite with this bird, as 

 it is with the Robin, and I fancied that Flickers were unusually abundant on 

 that account in the winter of 1907-08. 



No. 180. 



CALIFORNIA CUCKOO. 



A. O. U. No. 387 a. Coccyzus americanus occidentalis Ridgway. 



Synon\-ms. — Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Rain-Crow. 



Description. — Adult: Above nearly uniform, satiny, brownish gray, with 

 something of a bronzy-green sheen ; the inner webs of the primaries cinnamon- 

 rufous, the outer webs and sometimes the wing coverts tinged with the same; 

 central pair of tail-feathers like the back and completely covering the others during 

 repose: remaining pairs sharply graduated, — blackish with broad terminal white 

 spaces, the outer pair white-edged ; a bare space around the eye yellow; underparts 

 uniform silky white or sordid; bill curved, upper mandible black, except touched 

 with yellow on sides; lower mandible yellow, with black tip. Immature: Similar 

 to adult, but plumage of back with slight admixture of cinnamon-rufous or vina- 

 ceous ; tail-feathers narrower, — the contrast between their black and white areas 

 less abrupt. Length 12.50-13.50 (317.5-342.9); wing 6.00 (152.4); tail 6.50 

 (165.1) ; bill 1.06 (26.9) ; depth of bill at base .38 (9.7). 



Recognition Marks. — Robin to Kingfisher size; slim form and lithe appear- 

 ance; In'own aljove, white below; sharply-graduated, broadly white-tipped tail- 

 feathers. 



Nesting. — Nest: a careless structure of twigs, bark-strips, and catkins, placed 

 in trees or bushes, usually at moderate heights. Eggs: 3 or 4, pale greenish blue, 



