272 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



sborter tluin oiuer anterior toe, with claw ; small (wing less than 

 COO, tail loss than 8.00), and plumage without striiics. 

 (3».) Coccyzus. (Pago 273.) 



Genus CROTOPHAGA Linn^us. (Page 271, pi. LXXIX., fig. 1.) 



Species. 



Common Characters. — Plumage entirely dull black, the feathers of head, neck, 

 and bodj- edged or bordered with dull metallic bluish, greenish, or bronzy ; wings 

 and tail faintly glossed with metallic bluish or violet. Yoiuuj, uniform dull sooty 

 black. Hest usually on trees (sometimes in reedy marshes), composed of sticks, 

 etc., lined usually with leaves. J'^ggs 5-8 — sometimes numerous (evidently de- 

 posited by several birds) — dull glaucous-blue, but this usually covered by a suijer- 

 ficial while chalky crust. 



a\ Upper mandible smooth, or with a few transverse wrinkles; length 12.00-15.00, 

 wing 5.50-C.OO, tail 7.50-8.30. Hggs 1.36 X 1-02. Ilab. West Indies and 

 eastern South America ; rare or casual in southern Florida and Louisiana, 

 and accidental near Philadelphia 383. C. ani Linn. Ani. 



fl'. Upper mandible with several distinct longitudinal grooves, jiarallel with the 

 culmeii ; length 12.00-14.50, wing 5.50-6.50, tail 7.30-8.30. Eggs 1.23 X -94. 

 Hub. Middle America (both sides) from lower Ilio Grande A^allcy in Texas 

 and Lower California to Peru. 



384. C. sulcirostris Swains. Groove-billed Ani. 



Genus GEOCOCCYX AVagler. (Page 271, pi. LXXIX., fig. 2.) 



Specks. 



Common Characters. — Plumage conspicuouslj' striped with dull whitish or 

 buffy and bronzed brown, the latter glossed with green ; naked skin before and 

 behind eye brightly colored (blue, white, and red, or orange) in life. 



aK Wing more than 6.00, tail more than 11.00; throat and chest light brownish, 

 streaked with duskj' ; above glossy blue-black anteriorly and metallic green- 

 ish brown posteriori}', the feathers broadlj' edged with whitish ; lower parts 

 whitish, the chest and fore-neck tinged with pale brownish or dull ochraccous, 

 and streaked with blackish ; tail-feathers (except two middle pairs) broadlj'' 

 tipped with wliite, the outer webs glossy blue-black, the inner webs greenish ; 

 length 20.00-24.00, wing 6.50-7.00, tail 11.50-12.00. Kest in bushes or low 

 trees, rudclj- constructed of sticks, grasses, etc. l^ggs 2-12, 1.54 X 1-18, ovate, 

 white, or buffy white. JIab. Northern Mexico and contiguous portions of 

 United States, north to western Indian Territory- and Kansas, southei-n 

 Colorado, and California; Lower California. 



385. G. californianus (Less.), Koad-runner. 



