MAYNARD'S CUCKOO 53 



allowing me to approach within ten feet of it, as it deliberately searched for 

 food among the remains of partly decayed stubs of trees which stood in the 

 clearing. 



Voice. — On this subject Maynard says : 



All through the winter Maynard's Cuckoo is rather silent, but as spring ap- 

 proaches they begin to utter their singular cries, and at times, more especially 

 before rain, are quite noisy. The notes may be represented by the syllables 

 "ou, ou, ou, ou, qua, qua, qua, coo, coo, coo." 



The "ous" are given very rapidly, with a decided Cuckoo-like intonation. 



The "quas" are harsher, more like the notes of the Bahama tree frog, and 

 are not hurriedly given. The last three notes are more Cuckoo-like than any 

 of the others. The first four notes are often omitted, then the harshly and 

 gravely given "quas" begin the song and on occasions these quaint sounds 

 are not followed by any other notes, then it is sometimes difficult to dis- 

 tinguish the notes uttered from some of those uttered by the large Andros 

 Island Cuckoo, Saurothera andrea. This varied song is uttered in the early 

 morning with rather more energy than at any other time in the day. 



Field marks. — The Maynard's cuckoo might easily be mistaken for 

 a yellow-billed cuckoo, as it doubtless often has been, the tail mark- 

 ings being practically the same. But the underparts are decidedly 

 washed with "pinkish buff" and "cinnamon-buff," though these parts 

 are not so deeply colored as in the mangrove cuckoo. If clearly seen 

 at close range, the grayish crown and the black area behind and, 

 narrowly, below the eye are good field marks. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Northeastern South America, Central America to central 

 Mexico, the West Indies, and southern Florida. 



The range of the mangrove cuckoo extends north to Nayarit (Tres 

 Marias Islands and San Bias) ; Tamaulipas (Alta Mira) ; Yucatan 

 (Izamal, Temax, Chichen-Itza, Cozumel Island, and Mujeres 

 Island) ; western Cuba (Isle of Pines) ; Florida (Anclote Keys and 

 Cape Florida) ; the Bahama Islands (Berry, Eleuthera, and Watling 

 Islands) ; the Dominican Republic (Monte Cristi, Sosua, and Seibo) ; 

 Puerto Rico (Desecheo, Culebra, and Vieques Islands) ; and the Vir- 

 gin Islands (St. Thomas, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda). East to the 

 Virgin Islands (Virgin Gorda) ; the Leeward and Windward Islands 

 (Antigua, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, Santa Lucia, St. Vin- 

 cent, and Grenada) ; and Trinidad. South to Trinidad ; northern 

 Venezuela (Aruba Island) ; Panama (Chiriqui) ; and Costa Rica 

 (San Jose and Puntarenas). West to Costa Rico (Puntarenas, Pozo 

 del Rio Grande, and Pigres) ; Nicaragua (Grey town and Chinan- 

 dega) ; Honduras (Roatan Island and Puerto Caballo) ; El Salva- 

 dor (La Libertad) ; western Guatemala (near Ocos) ; Oaxaca (Caco- 

 prieto) ; and Nayarit (Tres Marias Islands). 



