76 



U. S. p. R. R EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



The following synopsis will serve to distinguish the North American species of Coccygus, all 

 of them being of a light greenish color, tinged with ashy towards the head : 



A. Beneath nearly pure white. 



Under mandible yellow. Tail feathers black, broadly and conspicuously tipped with 

 white ; of which color also is the outer web of outer feather. All the quills with the 

 concealed portion orange cinnamon G. americanus. 



Under mandible black. Tail feathers beneath greyish, narrowly and indistinctly 

 tipped with white ; the outer web of outer feathers not white, nor the concealed 

 portion of the quills orange cinnamon C. erylhrophthalmus, 



B. Beneath strongly tinged with yellowish cinnamon. 



Tail feathers black, broadly tipped with white, the outer not margined externally. An 

 elongated patch of brown behind the eye. Under mandible yellow, except at tip. 



C. seniculus. 



The following table exhibits the comparative proportions of the three species : 



COCCYGUS AMERICANUS, Bonap. 



yellow-biUed Cuckoo. 



Cuculus americanus, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 170, 10. 



Coccyzus americanm, Bon. Obs. Wilson, 1825, No. 47.— Ib. Conspectus, 1850, IV — Aod. Orn. Biog. I, 183i2, 18, V: 



520, pi. 2.— Ib. Birds Am. IV, 1842, 293, pi. 275. 

 Erythrophrys americanus, Sw. Birds, II, 1837. — Bon. List, 1838. 

 Cureus americanus, Bon. List Eur. Birds, 1842. 

 r Cuculus dominiccnsis, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 170, 13. 



> Cuculus dominicus, LATHiH, Syst. I, 1790, 221, (considered distinct by Bonaparte.) 

 Cuculus carolinensis, (Brisson,) Wilson, Am. Orn. IV, 1811, 13, pi. xxviii. 

 Cuculus cinerosus, Temminck, Man. IV, 1835, 277. 

 Coccyzus jiyrrhopterus, ViEiLi.. Diet. 



Sp. Cii. — Upper mandible and tip of lower, black ; rest of lower mandible and cutting edges of the upper yellow. Upper parts 

 of a metallic grcenisli olive, sliglilly tinged willi asli towards the bill ; bciiciitli white. Tail feathers, (except the median, 

 which are like the back,) black, tipped with white for about an inch on the outer feathers, the external one with the outer edge 

 almost entirely white. Quills orange cinnamon ; the terminal portion and a gloss on the outer webs olive ; iris brown. Length 

 12 inches ; wing 5.9.') ; tail 6.35. 



Hah. — Eastern United States to the Missouri plains. 



This species is easily known by the yellow under mandible, the black under surface of the tail 

 feathers with the broad and well defined black tip, and the bright orange brown of the covered 



