THE BIEDS OF NEW JEESEY. 177 



Cuckoos of Europe they are not parasitic, but always construct nests 

 of their own. 



The food of the Cuckoos consist ahnost exclusively of insects ; some 

 of these are beetles, bugs and grasshoppers, but almost half of the 

 entire food of the Cuckoo, while he is with us, consists of caterpillars, 

 and, after careful study of the subject, the experts of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture have estimated that one bird devours be- 

 <rtween two and three thousand caterpillars during the five months of 

 his stay. 



388 Coccyzus erythrophthalmus (Wilson). 



Blaek-billed Cuckoo. 



Adults. — Length, 11-12.50. Wing, 5.50. Above, grayish-brown, with a slight 

 greenish gloss ; wing feathers with no rufous on the inner webs ; tail like the 

 back, with a very narrow white tip and subterminal dusky band on all but the 

 middle pair ; bill entirely black ; under parts, grayish-white. 



Young in first summer. — Similar, feathers slightly edged with buff above. 



Nest similar to that of the preceding species ; eggs, darker blue, 1.15 x .85. 



Eegular summer resident; more common in the upper half of the 

 State. Arrives May 6th (May 11th), departs October 15th. 



This Cuckoo is similar in habits and notes to the Yellow-billed spe- 

 cies, from which it is best distinguished by the lack of distinct white 

 tips to the tail feathers. 



Family ALCEDINID^. 



The Kingfishers. 

 We have only one species of Kingfisher in Eastern North America. 



390 Ceryle alcyon (Linnaeus). 

 Belted Kingfisher. 



PLATE 36. 



Adult male. — Length, 11-14. Wing, 6.25. Above, bluish-gray, everywhere 

 spotted or barred with white; under parts, white, extending up on the sides 

 of the neck, so as to almost meet above ; a broad breast band and sides of the 

 body bluish-gray. 



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