76 U. 8. P. R. R EXP, AND SURVEYS—ZOOLOGY—GENERAL REPORT. 
The following synopsis will serve to distinguish the North American species of Coccygus, all 
of them being of a light greenish color, tinged with ashy towards the head : 
A. Beneath nearly pure white. 
Under mandible yellow. Tail feathers black, broadly and conspicuously tipped with 
white ; of which color also is the outer web of outer feather. All the quills with the 
concealed portion orange CINNAMON........00seeeeeee eee ech ecicesestecesceses(/'s QMETICANUS. 
Under mandible black. Tail feathers beneath greyish, narrowly and indistinctly 
tipped with white; the outer web of outer feathers not white, nor the concealed 
portion of the quills orange CiNNAMON.......s.cesseeeeseesensseseeeeeO, erythrophthalmus. 
B. Beneath strongly tinged with yellowish cinnamon. 
Tail feathers black, broadly tipped with white, the outer not margined externally. An 
elongated patch of brown behind the eye. Under mandible yellow, except at tip. 
C. seniculus, 
The following table exhibit the comparative proportions of the three species : 
Catal. Species. Locality. Sex. | Length.) Stretch | Wing. Tail. Tarsus. | Middle ltts claw Bill Along | Specimen 
No. of wings. | toe, | alone. | above. | gape. | measured. 
| | 
5623 Republican river., 12,00 Fresh ... 
do Radome. sens 12,00 Skin... 
1541 Carlisle, Pa...... 11.40 Fresh ... 
COM | ssees eAOsceciscicscisGO cscciccilesesce dO ..ccceeee | 10.50 Skin .... 
8981 Platte river...... 12,37 Fresh ... 
GOs }| reece AOcccascevee AO isjecesias|escess dO .seccaces|occees 11.66 Skin .... 
89797 ee /eccic\Oseesiasis've AO 'sisscvvel|cess sis (Opp opeedod Q 12.00 Fresh ... 
GO Hoan ccd Ore'cnveicees UOreieeeess}oeeesc dO .cececeee [sissies 12.00 Skin .... 
391 Carlisle 5.c2:e06<|| G | 11-30 | Skin... 
1854 Key West....seee ereeee| 12.04 Skin ,... 
| 
COCCYGUS AMERICANUS, Bonap. 
Yellow-billed Cuckoo. 
Cuculus americanus, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 170, 10. 
Coccyzus americanus, Bon. Obs, Wilson, 1825, No. 47.—In. Conspectus, 1850, [V.—Avn. Orn. Biog. I, 1832, 18, Wis 
520, pl. 2.—Is. Birds Am. IV, 1842, 293, pl. 275. 
Erythrophrys americanus, Sw. Birds, I, 1837.—Bow. List, 1838. 
Cureus americanus, Bon. List Eur. Birds, 1842. 
? Cuculus dominicensis, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 170, 13. 
? Cuculus dominicus, Laruam, Syst. I, 1790, 221, (considered distinct by Bonaparte.) 
Cuculus carolinensis, (Brisson,) Witson, Am, Orn, IV, 1811, 13, pl. xxviii. 
Cuculus cinerosus, Temminck, Man. IV, 1835, 277. 
Coccyzus pyrrhoplerus, ViEit.. Dict. 
Sp. Cu.—Upper mandible and tip of lower, black ; rest of lower mandible and cutting edges of the upper yellow. Upper parts 
of a metallic greenish olive, slightly tinged with ash towards the bill; beneath white. Tail feathers, (except the median, 
which are like the back,) black, tipped with white for about an inch on the outer feathers, the externa! one with the outer edge 
almost entirely white. Quills orange cinnamon ; the terminal portion and a gloss on the outer webs olive ; iris brown. Length 
12 inches; wing 5.95; tail 6.35. 
Hab.—Fastern United States to the Missouri plains. 
This species is easily known by the yellow under mandible, the black under surface of the tail 
feathers with the broad and well defined black tip, and the bright orange brown of the covered 
