20 BIRDS ORLA PLATA 
in spring scattered about the plantation, screaming 
and chattering in their usual manner when about 
to breed. I watched them, and found that after a 
time the flock broke up into small parties of three 
or four, and not into couples, and I could not detect 
them building. At length I discovered three broken 
eggs on the ground, and on examining the tree 
overhead found an incipient nest composed of about 
a dozen sticks laid crossways and out of which the 
eggs had been dropped. This was in October, and 
for a long time no other attempt at a nest was made ; 
but wasted eggs were dropped in abundance on the 
ground, and I continued finding them for about 
four months. Early in January another incipient 
nest was found, and on the ground beneath it six 
broken eggs. At the end of that month two large 
nests were made, each nest by one pair of birds, and 
in the two fourteen or fifteen young birds were 
reared. 
When taken young the Guira Cuckoos become 
very tame, and make bold, noisy, mischievous pets, 
fond of climbing over and tugging at the clothes, 
buttons, and hair of their master or mistress. They 
appear to be more intelligent than most birds, and 
in a domestic state resemble the Magpie. I knew 
one tame Cuckoo that would carry off and jealously 
conceal bits of bright-coloured ribbon, thread, or 
cloth. In a wild state their food consists largely of 
insects, which they sometimes pursue running and 
flying along the ground. They also prey on mice 
and small reptiles, and carry off the fledglings from 
