CUCKOOS 267 



The eggs are sometimes found in varying stages of incuba- 

 tion from fresh up to those ready to hatch, indicating that at 

 times several days elapse between the laying of each egg, but 

 at other times an egg is laid every other day. There have 

 been instances reported of finding their eggs in otlier birds 

 nests but these are very rare and exceptional cases. Only one 

 brood is reared in the northern portion of its range though in 

 the southern portion observers say that sometimes two broods 

 are reared. 



388. Coccyzus erythrnpthalnins (Wils.). Black-billed Cuc- 

 koo; Rain Crow; Rain Dove; Chow Chow; F2gg Sucker; 

 Milk Sourer. 



Plumage of adults : above grayish brown, slightly glossed with greenish ; 

 the wings and tail slightly white tipped : below white ; bill wholly black. 

 Immature plumage : differs in being duller brown above, more grayish on tail 

 and more rusty on quills of wing. Wing 5.00 to 5.50; culmen 0.93; tail 6.24. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern North America, west to Kocky Mountains, north to 

 Labrador and eastern Assiniboia ; winters in the West Indies, Central and 

 northern South America. 



County Records. — Androscoggin ; common summer resident, (Johnson). 

 Aroostook; summer resident throughout the county, (Knight). Cumber- 

 land; common summer resident, (Mead). Franklin; common summer resi- 

 dent, (Swainj. Hancock; summer resident, (Dorr). Kennebec; common 

 summer resident, (Royal). Knox; summer, (Rackliff). Oxford; breeds 

 common, (Nash). Penobscot; rather common summer resident locally, 

 (Knight). Piscataquis; common, breeds, (Homer). Sagadahoc; common 

 summer resident, (Spinney). Somerset : common summer resident, (Mor- 

 rell). Waldo; common summer resident, (Knight;. Washington; com- 

 mon, (Boardman;. York; abundant breeder, (Adams;. 



The Black-billed Cuckoo is generally found throughout the 

 State and may be expected to arrive in spring as early even as 

 May 18 though ordinarily not till about the 22, and from 

 then they remain until the first of September or exceptionally 

 until September 14. Soon after their arrival their song "cow- 

 cow-cow-cow-cow-cow-cow" is heard in the thickets and brier 

 patches, or occasionaly the call is varied by a "coo-coo-coo- 

 coo" or very rarely by "buck-a-rock, buck-a-rock." 



