474 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — PICABI^ — CUCULIFOBMES. 



427. G. california'nus. (Of California. Figs. 324, 325.) Ground Cuckoo. Chaparral Cock. 

 Road Runner. Snake Killer. Paisano. Most of the feathers of the head and neck 

 bristle-tipped; a naked area around eye ; crown crested ; plumage coarse. ^^ : Above, lus- 

 trous bronzy or coppery-green, changing to dark steel-blue on the head and neck, to purplish- 

 violet on the middle tail-feathers; everywhere except on rump conspicuously streaked with 

 white, mixed with tawny on the head, neck, and wings — this white and bull' streaking con- 

 sisting of the edges of the feathers, which are frayed out, fringe-like, producing a peculiar 

 eflfect. Breast, throat and sides of neck mixed tawny-white and black ; other under parts dull 

 soiled whitish. Primaries white, tipped and with oblique white space on outer webs. Lateral 

 tail-feathers steel-blue with green and violet reflections, their outer webs fringed part way with 

 white, their tips broadly white. Lower back and rump, where covered by the folded wings, 

 dark-colored and unmarked; under surface of wings sooty-brown. Bare space around eye 

 bluish and orange. Bill dark horn-color; feet the same, the larger scales yellowish. Young 

 birds are very similar, the iridescence developing with the first growth of the feathers, as in a 

 magpie ; more white and less tawny in the streaking. Nearly two feet long ; tail a foot or less ; 

 wing 6-7 inches ; tarsus 2.00; bill 1.66-2.00. Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California and 

 southward ; Colorado ; Arkansas River. A bird of remarkable aspect, noted for its swiftness 

 of foot ; aided by its wings held as outriggers, it taxes the horse in a race ; feeds on fruits, rep- 

 tiles, insects, and land moUusks. Nest in bushes ; a slight, loose structure of twigs, as if the 

 birds were just learning how to build. Eggs 6-8-9, white, elliptical, averaging 1..55 X 1-20. 

 They are laid at considerable intervals, and incubation begins as soon as a few are deposited. 

 The development of the chicks is rapid ; perfectly fresh eggs and newly hatched young may be 

 found together ; and by the time the last young are breaking the shell the others may be graded 

 up to half the size of the adult. The birds are sometimes domesticated, making amusing pets. 

 They are singular birds — cuckoos compounded of a chicken and a magpie ! 



38. Subfamily COCCYCIN>E: American Cuckoos. 



Tail of ten soft feathers, much graduated, 

 little longer than the wings, which are 

 somewhat pointed, although the first and 

 second quills are shortened. Bill about 

 equalling or rather shorter than the head, 

 stout at base, then much compressed, curved 

 throughout, tapering to a rather acute tip ; 

 nostrils basal, inferior, exposed, elliptical; 

 feet comparatively small, the tarsus naked, 

 not longer than the toes. There are four or 

 five genera, and perhaps twenty species, 

 of this subfamily ; one genus only is North 

 FIG. 326. -American Tree Cuckoo (Cocc.^us ameri^c^ American, with three distinct species. 

 mis), reduced. (From Tenney, after Wilson.) 

 121. COC'CYGUS. (An adjectival form derived from ko'kki;^, a cuckoo.) Tree Cuckoos. Head 

 not crested; all the feathers soft. BiU as above. Wings pointed, but not Linger than the 

 Uil; inner quills not folding over much of the primaries; 3d and 4th primaries longest, 2d and 

 .5th 'shorter, 1st much shorter still. Tail of soft rather tapering feathers, with very obtuse 

 ends; much graduated. Tibial feathers fiowing; tarsi naked, shorter than middle toe. Our 

 species are strictly arboricole birds of lithe form, blended plumage and subdued colors ; the 

 head is not crested ; the tibial feathers are full, as in a hawk ; the sexes are alike, and the 

 young scarcely different ; the upper parts are uniform satiny olive-gray, or " quaker-color," 

 with bronzy reflections. Lay numerous plain greenish elliptical eggs, in a rude nest of twigs 



