BIRDS—CUCULIDAE—COCCYGUS. (2 
List of specimens. 
Catal.) Sex. Locality. When collect-| Whence obtained. |Orig’!| Collected by— |Length. | Extent.) Wing. Remarks. 
No. ed. No. 
| | 
4973 |......| Fort Chadbourne, Tex..|...eeseesesees Dr. Swift, Us S.-A..|.ccecsleceeees sive e'eisiatals S00 o10:6.ie|asisvieees| occ eves sd eeeeescceccescccecccucecs 
6184 |......] Rio Grande, New Mex..| Sep. 20, 1853 | Major Emory.......|+++++- Mr. Schott......Jecesesss Saesiesa| aan | eee 
| . . . 
5068 |...... Crossing of Pecos......} Aug. 20,1856 | Captain Pope ...... 19 | ecccccccveveees 23.50 | 20. 7. | Billlight brown with dark 
ridge and tips ; eyes light 
brown, with light blue 
iris! (pupil); feet, light 
blue ; gums, pink. 
Bill light blue, with dark 
tips ; feet, whitish blue ; 
eyes, light brown; gums, 
~ 
HOGI) tateice ie |ssicaree ee. dO sevesacecce Aug. 4,1855 |......d0 .seee sccees| L1G |eccsecccescccces| 24.25] 21. 
pale blue, 
DO MeemavelsudeevceweCO cations cacc|(OCl. COsICOD esses MO wiecearesncs|| L4G |senespisssneinieecs] os 20, 6.50 | Feet, gray; eyes blue; 
gums, white. 
.| Ringgold Barracks, Tex.|....... escceee| Major EMOry ..cecc}sceces| Mr. Clarkeccccc|svoes ay pee eee lence eee tetera eeeees wesereceeeee 
.| Eagle Pass, Texas .....|-..... seeaucee |Seeclels COucissesetenes senses 
Tamaulipas, Mexico....| March, 1853 | Lieut. Couch....... . 
Sea Ncwaa'se do esuntU wipes: luseessCUisaen steer cte | Eyes, brownish gray; bill, 
slate; feet, lead colored. 
El Paso, New Mexico..|....ees+00. ..| Lieut. Whipple.... |....0.| Dr. Kennerly...|socscccslecscsees cocecces[sereeee thee e ee eeeeennees 
.| Doiia Ana, New Mex...| Nov. 22,1855 | Cuptain Pope ...... 65 |ecees aecccceces.| 20. 20. 7.50 | Eyes brown, with yellow 
: iris ; feet and gums, pale 
blue. 
Fort Conrad ....do.....| October, 1853 | Lieut. Whipple.....| | 54 | Dr. Kennerly...|..esee--|eeee see cece sceslecese ae cecccerecseceosese 
.| Fort Thorn..... GO se cisleeecessaesceiss| DF. MENT, U.S. A..|scicsicc|ocvccieinesie cicecia|nceceenelcesineeee|ececioec cuansaccoceccceccceccecse 
6183 |......| Little Colorado river....] Nov. 2,1853| Lieut. Whipple.....] 33 |..sseeceeeesseee| 22. 18. 8. Cacccccccenecsccces secese 
4576 |,.....| Fort Yuma, California..|............+.| Major Emory ...... 40 | Mr. Schott.....]..... sesleceeweeeleeeean ce teeter eeeeeeeeeeeeeaeeens 
4914 veove| WAN DiegOsece. dO: eveclies «| Dro J. BF. Hammond | <scscs)secces waseeesincc\ccvvecanlseseeiiee nee aie Susoae ce ncesioaseectamcee 
G1S74| coewes|esvees ems: C0uecceneosios seseceeeesee..| Lieut. Trowbridge..|...... A. Cassidy.....[eceecccs[eccecccc[ecccerss|sseveesceeene cvsvcvesees 
G18S |... . |e eeee eee eed vee cese eee |eceeeeceeeee ss] Di-WeS. King, US.A.]scsees|eceeserevees eens [eeeeees L ainieiniaite | sient olathe avecsasdenedssesscndenes 
618 | od Los Angelos, California.|........+.+...| Lieut. Williamson. .|....../ Dr. Heermann..|ecseces.|scccecce|eosenccs|eoceecsseseessseecssecees 
6186 | OM itciontratleveerend0 o>: | oneameasscsie-|eoerei d0\csews/aceny boo -n4] Beienat ey Bocosee| brontond be seodd| Rebernenl Goecde oucooco Enea, acc 
4565 |...... RaniJ ORGY seciasc CO ssiel| Gatisisieses'scaien) Ae Jel GLAVEOM iene a Sesieisis | se sieieaiculeae visiies| eco cece! eccasicculee olivia. seen ee ceeeeeteeers eoeees 
5946 |......| Santa Clara .....d0.0..|.cesssceeeees.| Die Je Gs COOPEL..6.|.cccas|sccececcsccccccs[ecesercclessceces ideawona| Saeseeale gees siceseneisswes's 
4487 [evese Calaveras'c0.....dO....|.sseceeeeeeees| Lieut. Williamson..|......| Dr. Newberry..|...secee/secees aii ie coreletatais slelelsie sin(eaaG@cln, aks pele sis'sl2 = 
| 
COCCYGUS, Vieillot. 
Coccyzus, Vir1LLoT, Analyse, 1816. 
Eryth ophrys, Swainson, Class. Birds, II, 1837, 322. 
Head without crest; feathers about base of bill soft; bill nearly as long as the head, decurved, slender, and attenuated 
towards the end. Nostrils linear. Wings lengthened, reaching the middle of the tail ; the tertials short. Tail of ten graduated 
feathers. Feet weak ; tarsi shorter than the middle toe. 
The species of Coccygus are readily distinguished from those of Geococcyx by their arboreal 
habits, confining themselves mainly to trees, instead of living habitually on the ground. The 
plumage is soft, fine, and compact. 
The American cuckoos differ from the European cuckoos, (Cuculus,) by having lengthened 
naked tarsi, instead of very short feathered ones. The nostrils are elongated, too, instead of 
rounded. The habits of the two are entirely different, the American species rearing their own 
young, instead of laying the eggs in the nests of other birds, like the European cuckoo and the 
American cowbird (Molothrus pecoris). 
