320 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



It is rarer in the Bruce peninsula where I have seen it but twice. 

 It does not appear to lay more than four eggs in the largest set, 

 while the black-billed sometimes has as many as six. {IV. E. Saun- 

 ders.) A summer resident around Toronto, Ont., but rather scarce. 

 A pair nest every season a short distance from my house at Kew 

 Beach. It is a late breeder, seldom having eggs before the middle 

 of July. On July 20th, 1895, I found a nest containing two eggs at 

 Kew Beach. The nest was built in a maple tree twelve feet from 

 the ground. (W. Raine.) Nest taken at Ottawa, Ont., composed 

 of twigs, leaves, rootlets and catkins, lined w4th some soft vegetable 

 material. Eggs in sets of four to six of a pale greenish colour. 

 {G. R. White.) 



387a. California Cuckoo. 



Coccyztis americanus occidentalis Ridgw. 1887. 



While being transferred across the Fraser river at Mount Lehman 

 we passed near an island where I heard the unmistakable notes of a 

 cuckoo; I directed the boat to the spot and the bird was seen, but 

 not taken. (Streator.) In May, 1881, I saw one of these birds at 

 Burrard inlet, and in June, 1882, the late Mr. J. C. Hughes found a 

 pair breeding at Kamloops; in June, 1887, I saw a pair at Skinner 

 swamp near the city of Victoria, and from their actions I concluded 

 they were breeding in that locality; later in the same year one was 

 shot on Mount Tolmie. (Fannin.) Tolerably common summer 

 resident at Chilliwack, and becoming more abundant in the coast 

 region every year, probably on account of the invasions of the forest 

 tent caterpillar. (Brooks.) 



388. Black-billed Cuckoo. 



Coccyzus erythrophihalmus (WiLS.) Bonap. 1824. 



Audubon, Vol. IV., p. 301, states that they saw a few individuals 

 in clumps of low trees a few miles from the shore of the Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence. (Packard.) One specimen obtained at Tignish, P.E.I. 

 The only evidence I have of its occurrence on the island. (Dwight.) 

 One seen on Sable island, N.S., August 5th, 1904 and one September 

 27th, 1907. (James Boutelier.) Not very common; a summer 

 resident in Nova Scotia. (Downs; Tufts.) Fairly common at 

 Wolfville, King's county, N.S. from May to September. (H. F. 



