610 



SYSTEMA TIC SYNOPSIS. — PICARLE — COCCYGES. 



C america'nus. (Lat. American. Figs. 418, 419, 421.) Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Rain- 

 crow. Rain-dove. Storm-crow. Chow-chow. Adult (J?: Bill black, extensively yellow 

 below and on sides of upper mandible. Feet dark plumbeous. Above, satiny olive-gray. Be- 

 low, pure white. Wings extensively cinna- 

 mon-rufous on inner webs of the quills. Cen- 

 tral tail-feathers like back ; rest black with 

 large white tips, outermost usually also 

 edged with white. Very constant in color, 

 the chief variation being in extent and inten- 

 sity of cinnamon on wings, which sometimes 

 shows through when the wings are closed, 

 and even tinges the coverts. Young differ 

 chiefly in having the white ends of the tail- 

 feathers less trenchant and extensive, the 

 black not so pure ; this state approaches the 

 condition of erythrojjhthahnus, but does not 

 match it. Length 1 1.00-12.00 ; extent 15.50- 

 16.50; wing about 5.50; tail about 6.00; 

 bill a short inch; tarsus 1.00; middle toe and 

 claw rather more. Eastern U. S., rather 

 more southerly than the last species, but N. 

 to Canada; W. to the limit of trees on the 

 Plains, S. in winter to Costa Rica and the 

 West Indies ; accidental in Greenland, Eu- 

 rope; breeds throughout its N- A. range. 

 Nest a slight structure of twigs, leaves, and 

 catkins, on a bough or in fork of a tree rather 

 than in a bush, seldom so low as that of the 

 Black -billed usually is, and up to 25 feet or 

 more ; it is flat, about 5 inches in diameter by 2 or less deep ; eggs 2 to 8, oftcnest 3, 4, or 5, 

 averaging 1.20 X 0.90, ranging in length from 1.10 to 1.30, quite elliptical, pale fugacious 

 bluish-green, fading paler still. In the South they may be taken in May, but in most parts in 

 June, July, August. This species is a later spring migrant than the other, on the whole a later 

 breeder, and rather earlier to leave in the fall ; a few linger in winter on our Gulf border, but 

 most pass on. Its eggs are not seldom dropped in nests of the other species, but rarely in those 

 of other birds. 



C. a. occidenta'lis. (Lat. pertaining to the setting sun, i- e. western.) Western Yellow- 

 billed Cuckoo. Rather larger than the last, with stouter bill ; length about 12.50; wing 

 averaging nearly 6.00 ; tail over 6.00; bill a long inch, and 0.35 deep at base. Western U. S., 

 Rocky Mts. to the Pacific, N. to British Columbia, S. through much of Mexico. Ridgw. Man. 

 1887, p. 273; Coues, Key, 4th ed. 1890, p. 903; A. 0. U. List, 2d ed. 1895, No. 387 «. 

 (Included under the foregoing in 2d and 3d eds. of the Key.) 



C mi'nor. (Lat. of less size, smaller: used to express the comparative degree of the difi'ereut 

 word parvus, small.) Mangrove Cuckoo. Black-eared Cuckoo. Bill much as in amer- 

 icanus. Above, the same quaker-color, but more decidedly ashy-gray toward and on head. 

 Below, pale orange-brown. Wings suffused with color of belly. Auriculars dark, in contrast. 

 Tail as in aniericanus, but outer feather not white-edged. Size of the others, or rather less, 

 but tail relatively longer, nearly 7.00. West Indies; Florida, Louisiana, and S. to Central 

 and South America. Eggs as in aniericanus. (C. seniculus of all former eds. of the Key.) 

 C m. may'nardi. (To C. J. Maynard, author of a valuable work on the Birds of Florida.) 



Fig. 421. —Yellow-billed Cuckoo. 



