452 THE CALIFORNIA CUCKOO 



tlicm. TIr- lady is tlisiMJsed to lie critical at first, and liacks away in 

 apparent iiiditTcrcncc nr flies oflf to another linil) in tlic same tree. This is 

 only a fair test of gallantry and jirovokes pursuit, as was expected. Hour 

 after hour, anil it may be day after day, the suit is presseil by f)ne and 

 another until the maiden indicates her ])reference. and begins to resjMind in 

 kind by nodding and bowing and swaying before the object of her choice, 

 and to ])onr out an answering flood of softly whispered adulation. The best 

 of it is, however, that these aft'ectionate demonstrations are kept up (luring 

 the nesting season, so that even when one l)ird relieves its mate upon the 

 eggs it must needs pause for a while outside the nest to bow and sway and 

 swap compliments. 



The Xorthwestern Flicker is largely, but not e.xdusively, resident in 

 winter. Being restricted at that season as t<i its insect diet, its prcsetice 

 ai)pears to depend more or less upon the abundance of fruits and nuts. It 

 eats not only grubs and worms but seeds, acorns and berries of various kinds. 

 The fruit of the madrone appears to be a sjiecial favorite with this bird, as 

 it is with the Robin, and I fancied that Flickers were unusually abundant on 

 that account in the uinler of k^oj-oS, 



No. iKo. 



CALIFORNI.A CrCKOO. 



.•\. C). V. Xo. 387 a. Coccyzus americanus occidentalis Ridgway. 



Synonyms. — W'kstkrn Yki.i.uw-iiii.i.kh Cickihi. Rain-Crow. 



Description. — .Unit: .Vbovc nearly unif<inn. satiny, bmwnish gray, with 

 sonietiiing of a bronzy-green sheen: the inner webs of the ])riniaries cinnamon- 

 rufous, the outer webs and sonictinies the wing coverts tinged with the same; 

 central pair of tail-feathers like the back and completely covering the others during 

 repose: remaining pairs sharply grailtiatcd. — blackish with broad terminal white 

 spaces, the outer pair whitc-edgeil : a bare '^pace aronnd the eye yellow ; underjiarts 

 uniform silkv white or sordid: bill cnrveil. u]>per mandible black, e.xcejjt touched 

 with yellow on siiles : lower mandible yellow, with black tip. Immature: Similar 

 to adult, but plumage of back with slight admixture of cinnamon-rufous or vina- 

 ceous: tail-feathers narrower. — the contrast between their black and white areas 

 less abrupt. Length 12.50-13.50 ( 317.5-342.9) ; wing (i.oo ( 152.4 I ; tail 6.50 

 ( i<')5.i ) : liill i.o<) ( .'(•()» ; depth of bill at base .38 (w.7). 



Recognition Marks. — Robin to Kinglisher size: slim form and lithe appear- 

 ance: brown .ilMno. vviiite below: sliarjily-graduated, broadly white-tippe<l tail- 

 feathers. 



Nesting.^.Vr.vr a careless structure of twig-^. bark-strips, and catkins, placed 

 in trees or bushes, usually at moderate heights. E<igs: 3 or 4. pale greenish blue. 



