350 COCCYGUS MINOR. 



In breeding habits, the Yellow-billed Cuckoo does not diffei' essentially from the- 

 Black-billed. The eggs are deposited about the same time and the young leave the nest 

 early and, although they have not acquired the full plumage, fly very well. I obtained 

 some in this stage at Watsontown, Pennsylvania, during the first week in September,, 

 which were, in company with their parents, feeding in the tops of lofty trees. In the au- 

 tumn, tlie Cuckoos grow very fat and one which I obtained at Watsontown, on the twenty- 

 eighth of September, was so corpulent that it was scanjely able to fly but sat apparently 

 stupefied, not attempting to move when I walked within a few feet of it. They remain iu 

 the north until about the first week iu October, then all take their departure for tropical 

 climes. 



COCCYGUS MINOR. 

 Mangrove Cuckoo. 



Cnccyyus minor Cab., Jour, fuv Orn.; 1825, 47. 



DESCKIPTION. 



Sp. Cn. Form, mbu-t. Size, not large. Sternum, stout. Tongue, long, thin, wide at the base, and quite horny,, 

 especially near the tip which is bifid, and about one third of the terminal portion of the sides Ls provided with coai-se cilia. 

 Space around eye, feiithered. 



Color. Adult. Above, including wings and central tail, plumbeous-brown with a slight greenish gloss everywhere 

 excepting cm top of the head. Beneath, white overwashed with a strong tinge of yellowish-rufous which is darkest cm the 

 abdomen and under tail coverts. Three fourths of the basal portion of the inner webs of the wing feathei's are yellowish- 

 rufous. Central pair of tail feathei-s slightly tipped with white, remaining feathers nearly black, excepting ba.sal portion of 

 the more central, tipped with white which extends along the outer webs of outer feathers, at first, widely, then rapidly 

 narrowing to a mere line which extends to the base of the feathers. Spot in front of eye, ring around it, and triangular 

 area back of it, black. Hill, black, yellow on basal three fourths of lower mandible. Feet, bluish. 



Younij. Very similar to the above but the tail is not as dark and there is less yellow on the lower mandible and they 

 are not as strongly overwashed liclow. Sexes, similar in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Readily known from the Yellow-billed Cuckoo which it closely resembles, by the ycUowish-rufous ovorwashing below 

 and by the alv^cncc of the cinnamon on the wings. Distributed during summer throughout the Florida Keys. Winters in- 

 South America. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens from Florida. Length, 12-00; stretch, 15-00; wing, 5-95; tail, 6-50; bill, -90; tar- 

 sus, -99. Longest specimen, 12-25; greatest extent of wing, lO'OO; longest wing, 5-10; tail, 6-15; hill, TOO; tai-sus, 1-10. 

 Shortest si)ecimcn, 11-75; smallest extent of wing, 15-00; shortest wing, 5-00; tail, 4-75; bill, -85; tarsus, -85. 



DESCKIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Ncsis, |)laccd iu Inislies, they are flat in form and very loosely constructed of quite small sticks, and weeds, lined with 

 leaves. Dimensicms, external diameter, 9-00, internal, 4-50. External depth, 2-00, internal, -75. 



Efjffs, f lur in nuinlier, ellij)tical in form, light greenish blue in color, unspotted, but sometimes overwa,shed with whit- 

 ish. Dimcnsiims fnuii llOx'75 to r30x-85. 



HABITS. 



One of the most remarkable trees in North America is the mangrove which grows so 

 abundantly along the Gulf of Mexico, extending up the east coast of Florida as far as Mos- 

 quito Inlet. It is a tree of the tropics and cannot endure the slightest frost; thus those 

 which occur north of Cape Cannaveral are of stunted growth as they are occasionally froz- 

 en for, during cxcci>tioniilly cold winters, the biting influence of the Frost King is felt 



