50 JOURNAL OP MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



this slope I found sixteen different kinds of birds, among them the 

 Black-billed Cuckoo, which had nested theie. 



In the late afternoon of the twenty-third day of July I went down 

 the old grass-grown road that skirts the alders in the hope of start- 

 ing up a Woodcock. When I was well down the slope, I heard the 

 call of a Cuckoo close by, and turning, saw, not more than fifteen 

 feet away, the bird perched on a dead limb of an apple tree which 

 was nearly encircled by the tall alders that had grown up around it. 

 I first saw that there was a yellowish mark about the eyes and that 

 the lower mandible was yellow. Instantly I thought, "This must 

 be a Yellow-billed Cuckoo!" Then I looked at the bird's tail, and 

 there, indeed, were the broad white tips or "thumb marks" on the 

 outer feathers. I could hardly believe in my good fortune, so I 

 looked the bird over carefully again and assured myself that I was 

 not mistaken. Meanwhile the Cuckoo remained on his perch eyeing 

 me, the flicking of his tail showing that he was considering whether 

 or not I was an object to be feared. Apparently he decided that I 

 was not. for he flew to another apple tree near by, still keeping in 

 sight, took a caterpillar from a leaf, ate it leisurely, mounted to the 

 top of the tree, and then dropped into the alders. Two minutes 

 later he flew to another part of the pasture. I followed in the direc- 

 tion that he took, hoping to get another glimpse of the interesting 

 stranger, but I saw him no more. Judging from a single specimen, 

 I should say that the plumage of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo lacks the 

 satin-like smoothness that gives the Black-billed so finished and 

 attractive an appearance. The white markings on the outer tail 

 feathers of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo are very distinct, and no care- 

 ful observer, having a good view of the bird, could fail to be sure of 

 its identity. 



