Birds of British Guiana 173 



t Red-cinctured Toucan Pteroglossus aracari. 

 *t Letter-billed Toucan ,. inscriptus. 

 IMany-banded Toucan ,, pluricinctus. 

 Green Toucan ,, viridis. 

 jEar-tufted or Black-breasted Tou- 

 can (pepper-eater) Selenidera piperivora. 

 t Many-coloured Toucan ,, nattereri. 

 tSea-green Toucan (Whiteley's) Aiilacorhamphus zvhitclcyamts. 

 tFurrow-billed Toucan ., sulcatus. 

 t Double ring-necked Toucan .. bitorquatus. 



CUCKOOS. 



Cuckoos have affinities to Parrots and are placed by some 

 ornithologists in the same order. Outwardly, however, they 

 are very different and agree only in having zygodactyl feet. 

 The beak is generally long and curved, and in the "( Jld Witch" 

 the maxilla is raised in the form of a keel. The plumage also 

 differs much from parrots, in being of sombre hue, brown, 

 greys, or buffs being the prevailing tints, with sometimes bars 

 or spots of white or black. In all there forty-six genera and 

 some two hundred species, of which about thirty species belong 

 to America. Guckoos differ from other birds in being promis- 

 cuous in their intercourse, polyandry being generally practised, 

 but the habit of the English Cuckoo of laying its eggs in other 

 birds' nests aqd thus relieving itself of the burden of domestic 

 life, is not common to the order. Most other Cuckoos build 

 their own nests and raise their own progeny. In the case of the 

 "Old Witch," however. one large nest serves the purpose of 

 several females who sit side by side and share in common the 

 duties of incubation. The food of Cuckoos consists of cater- 

 pillars and insects generally ; some will eat fruit and berries ; 

 others lizards, small snakes, and even birds and mice. Their 

 cry is loud and shrill, but none in these regions utter the note 

 that has given the name to the whole family. Some species have 

 striped, hawk-like breasts as also a hawk-like flight, and are in 

 consequence often mobbed by other birds. In this colony the 

 Cuckoo's habit of depositing its eggs in the nests of other birds 

 is taken up by the Lazy-bird, and its affinity, the great Corn Bird, 

 both belonging to the Order "Icteridae," q.v. 



