COCCYZUS AMERICANU'S, YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. 277 



coast record. Early observers gave "Oregon" as a locality which has 

 remaiued uncbecked to date, and, in fact, it is only recently that the 

 California quotations have been confirmed. Before, it rested upon 

 "hearsay," literally, for several persons wbo tbonght tbey heard its cry 

 may bave been mistaken, easily enough. In the first place, the hooting 

 of tbe Burrowing Owl is so similar to the notes of the Eain Crow, that 

 I should bave been deceived myself on one occasion had I not been fore- 

 warned by my friend Cooper ; and secondly, as this gentleman observes, 

 the noise made by tbe Spade-footed Toad {Scaphiopus) is also very simi- 

 lar. Specimens have, however, been actually procured by Mr. F. Gruber 

 in Napa Valley. 



Tbe ])eculiar notes of this bird, sounding like tbe syllables l-oo-l-oo-J:oo, 

 indefinitely repeated, are probably uttered more frequently during the 

 atmospheric cbanges j)receding falling weather, and have given rise to 

 the name "Eain Crow," by wbich botb our species are universally known 

 to the vulgar. The Yellow-billed is rather tbe noisier bird of the two, 

 and its voice is more lorcible. It is a rather sby and unfamiliar species, 

 inhabiting higb, open woods, as well as tbe large shade-trees of parks 

 and cities, and generally remains high among tbe branches. When 

 dashing about, in active pursuit of the various large-winged insects tbat 

 form its chief food, tbey are conspicuous objects, the metallic olive-gray 

 flasbing in tbe sun, and the snowy under parts contrasting with verdure. 

 But ordinarily they are hidden birds, oftener heard than seen; tbey 

 pass from one tree to anotber stealtbily, with a rapid, gliding, noiseless 

 fligbt, and often rest motionless as statues for a long time, especially 

 when crying out. or when they have detected a suspicious object. Tbey 

 court tbe seclusion of the thickest foliage. Their curiosity is not small, 

 and tbey may be observed to frequently peer down with inquisitive 

 looks through the dense foliage, trying to make out some unusual object. 

 Although not parasites, like tbe European species, devoid of parental 

 Instinct, they bave their bad traits, being even worse enemies of various 

 small, gentle birds; for they are abandoned thieves, as wicked as Jays 

 in this respect, continually robbing birds of their eggs, and even, it is 

 said, devouring the belpless nestlings. 



Tbe nidification is not remarkably peculiar, tbe nest being like that 

 of a Crow in miniature, conqiosed artlessly of many small sticks and 

 some grass, rather loosely interlaced, and forming a flattish, unsubstan- 

 tial structure, usuall}- saddled on a large horizontal branch. Tbe eggs 

 are pale greenish, ratber broadly oval, measuring about 1-^- inches long 

 by I in breadth. But tbe ovi[)Osition is very unusual. The fact is, that 

 tbe bird begins to set as soon as the first egg is laid, and successively 

 deposits tbe rest at sucb intervals that a nest may be found with a fresh 

 egg in it, another partially incubated, a newly-hatched bird, and one or 

 more young more advanced. I have verified tbis fact ; but in ]>lace of 

 my observations I will give an extract from Audubon, wbich leaves 

 uotbing to be desired : 



"A nest, wbich was placed near tbe centre of a tree of moderate size, 

 was readied by a sou of the gentleman on wbose grounds we were. One 

 of the old birds, wbicb was sittiug ui)on it, left its situation only wbeu 

 witbin a few incbes of tbe climber's hand, and silently glided olf to an- 

 otber tree close by. Two young Cuckoos, lu'arly able to tly, scrambled 

 oti" from tbclr tenement among the brandies of tiie tree, and were caugbt 

 by us after awbile. Tbe nest was taken, and carefully banded to me. 

 It still contained tliree young Cuckoos, all of dillerent sizes, tbe small- 

 est aj>[)aiently just batcbed, tbe next in size i)robably several days old, 

 while tbe largest, covered with pin -feathers, would have been able to 



