414 



PICA RLE. 



CUCULID/E. 



CVCVLIDJi. 



Coccyzus americanus (Linnaeus*), 

 THE AMERICAN YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOW. 



Coccyzus Americanus. 



Coccyzus, Vieillotf. — Bill long, much compressed at the sides; culmen con- 

 siderably decurved ; cutting edge quite smooth ; lower mandible decurved beneath. 

 Gape moderate. Nostrils basal, linear-oval, half-closed by a membrane. Wings 

 short, with ten primaries, the first short, the third longest. Tail very long, 

 of ten feathers, graduated. Tarsi strong, short, bare behind, feathered in front 

 and on the outside above ; toes two before, two behind. 



The first notice of the occurrence in Britain of tins 

 American bird was published in January, 1833 (Field Natu- 

 ralist, i. pp. 6, 7), the late Mr. Ball making known, under 

 date of October 20th, 1832, the capture of two specimens: — 

 one (which was there figured) shot in the autumn of 1825 

 near Youghal, in the county of Cork, and brought to him 

 while still warm and bleeding ; the other but recently shot 

 at Old Connaught, near Bray, and in the possession of 

 (ilennon, the well-known bird-stuffer at Dublin. What be- 

 came of the latter is unknown, but the former, after having 



* Cuculus americanus, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. Ed. 12, i. p. 170 (1766). 

 t Analyse d'un • nouv. Orn. p. 28 (1816). 



