136 



COCCYZUS. cowcow. 



Bill nearly as long as the head, slender, arcuato-declinate, 

 broader than high at the base, compressed toward the end, 

 acute ; upper mandible with the dorsal line arcuato-declinate, 

 the ridge narrow but obtuse, the sides sloping at the base, con- 

 vex and erect toward the end, the edges sharp, with a slight 

 notch close to the declinate acute tip ; lower mandible with 

 the angle short, the dorsal line slightly decurved, the ridge 

 rather narrow, the sides nearly erect, toward the end convex, 

 the edges sharp, the tip narrow and rather obtuse ; the gape- 

 line arcuate. 



Tongue very slender, thin, emarginate at the base, with long 

 slender papillse, the edges toward the end lacerated, the tip 

 rather acute. CEsophagus rather wide, tapering ; proventri- 

 culus rather large ; stomach large, roundish, with the muscu- 

 lar coat very thin, and composed of a single series of small 

 fasciculi ; the cuticular lining soft ; intestine of moderate 

 length, rather wide ; cceca large, oblong. 



Nostrils linear-elliptical or oblong, half-closed by a membrane. 

 Eyes of moderate size ; eyelids bare, unless at the margin. 

 Feet short ; tarsus feathered one-third down, rather stout, 

 with seven very broad scutella. Toes small, broad beneath ; 

 the first very small, the third longest, the fourth longer than 

 the second, and reversed. Claws rather small, arched, much 

 compressed, laterally grooved, acute. 



Plumage soft and blended ; the feathers ovate, with a short 

 plumule. Wings of moderate length, pointed, with twenty 

 quills ; primaries tapering and rounded, the first a third shorter 

 than the second, the third longest ; secondaries short, broad, 

 rounded. Tail very long, graduated, of ten feathers. 



This genus differs from Cuculus chiefly in having the bill 

 more arched, the nostrils linear in place of elliptical, and with- 

 out a prominent margin, and the tail composed of ten instead 

 of twelve feathers. 



