484 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Coccygus erythrophtlialinus, Bon. 



BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO. 



Cuculus erythrophthalmtis, Wilson, Am. Orn. IV, 1811, 16, pi. xxviii. Coccyzus ery- 

 throphthalmus, BoN. Obs. Wils. 1825, 48. — Ib. Consp. 1850, IV. — AuD. Orn. Biog. 

 I, 1832, 170 ; V, 523, pi. xxxii. — Ib. Birds America, IV, 1842, 300, pi. cclxxvi.— 

 Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 77. — ScL. Cat. 1862, 323. — Samuels, 85. Ery- 

 throphrys erythrophthahnus, Bon. List, 1838. Coccyzus dominicus, (Lath.) Nutt. 

 Man. I, 1832, 556 (not of Latham, which belongs rather to C amerimnus, on account 

 of the red quills and white edge of oiiter tail-feather). 



Sp. Char. Bill entirely black. Upper parts generally of a metallic greenish-olive, ashy 

 towards the base of the bill ; beneath pure white, with a brownish-yellow tinge on the 

 throat. Inner webs of the quills tinged with cinnamon. Under surface of all the tail- 

 feathers hoary ash-gray. All, except the central on either side, suffused with darker to 

 the short, bluish-white, and not well-defined tip. A naked red skin round the eye. 

 Length, about 12.00 ; wing, 5.00 ; tail, 6.50. 



Hab. United States to the Missouri plains, south to Bogota. Localities : Cuba (Cab. J. 

 IV, 154, nests ; Gundl. Repert. I, 1866, 295) ; Guatemala (Salvin, Ibis, II, 276) ; 

 Mexico and Bogota (Scl. Cat. 323) ; Isth. Panama (Lawr. Ann. N. Y. Lye. VII, 62) ; 

 Costa Rica (Lawr. N. Y. Lye. IX, 128). 



This species differs from the C. americanus in the black bill, and the 

 absence of black on the tail-feathers, the white tips of which are much 

 shorter and less abruptly defined. One specimen (5,253) from the Upper 

 Missouri has a much stronger tinge of yellowish-cinnamon on the inner 

 webs of the quills than the others. The sexes are quite similar. 



Habits. The Black-billed Cuckoo, so closely allied with the common 

 species in respect to size, appearance, habits, and all its general characteris- 

 tics, is also distributed throughout very nearly the same localities, where, 

 however, it is usually regarded as a much less abundant bird. It is found 

 throughout the United States as far west as the Missouri plains. Dr. 

 Woodhouse met with this bird in his expedition down the Zuni and Colo- 

 rado Eivers, but states that he saw but very few, either in Texas or in the 

 Indian Territory. Lembeye, De la Sagra, and Dr. Gimdlach include it as a 

 visitant, in the winter months, to Cuba. Mr. Audubon met with this 

 Cuckoo in Louisiana only a few times in the course of his various re- 

 searches, and never in any Western State except Ohio. He does not seem 

 to have been aware that it ever breeds south of North Carolina. From 

 thence to Maine, and even as far north as the Canadas, Nova Scotia, and 

 Southern Labrador, he gives as its distribution during the breeding-sea- 

 son. He also regarded it as much more common in low and wooded ground 

 on the borders of the sea, wliere it frequents the edges of woods rather than 

 their interior, and chiefly on the edges of creeks, and in damp places. Mr. 

 Nuttall appeared to have regarded it as very nearly as common as the Yel- 

 low-bill throughout the United States, and as extending its migrations as far 

 north as Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. He states that it is found in St. 



