306 THE BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO. 
from Butler’s “Birds of Indiana,” will go to prove: ‘‘Few birds are of so 
much service to the farmer. Especially are the fruit growers and nursery- 
men its debtors. In early spring they love the orchard. I have known 
them to destroy every tent caterpillar (Clisiocampa americana) in a badly 
‘infested orchard and to tear up all the nests in half a day. While they may 
have eaten some caterpillars, out of the most of them the juices were squeezed 
and the hairy skin dropped to the ground. Almost every watchful fruit 
grower has had a similar experience. Prof. F. H. King found upon exami- 
nation, that one had eaten nine larvee of a species that destroys the foliage 
of black walnut trees. They also eat many canker worms. . . . While 
they occasionally eat some of the smaller fruit, their work all summer long 
is to protect the fruit tree from its enemies. Altho it has been accused of 
robbing the nests of other birds and eating their eggs, I do not believe the 
charge has been sustained.” 
No. 160. 
BEACK-BILLED CUCKOO: 
YA. O. U. No. 388. Coccyzus erythrophthaimus (Wils.). 
Synonym —Rain Crow; RArtn Dove. 
Description.—Adult: Color of upper parts like that of preceding species ; no 
rufous on wing; outer pairs of tail-feathers like back, but paler; narrowly and 
indistinctly dusky-and-white-tipped ; tail averaging longer than in C. americanus; 
circum-ocular bare space livid yellow; the edges of the eyelid bright red; under 
parts white—the throat, sides of neck, and sometimes flanks and crissum washed 
with pale buffy, or buffy ash; bill normally black all over, sometimes obscurely 
touched with yellow on lower mandible. Jmmature: Like adult, but without 
dusky subterminal bar on tail-feathers; wings with rusty edgings; eyelids pale 
yellow. Length 11.00-12.50 (279.4-317.5); wing 5.30-5.85 (134.6-148.6) ; tail 
6.60 (167.6) ; bill .87 (22.1). 
Recognition Marks.—Robin size; slender form and lithe appearance; sober 
colors; bill black; no rufous on wing; tail-feathers narrowly tipped with white. 
Nest, similar to preceding, but more carefully constructed, and somewhat 
deeper; at moderate heights, often in brushy swamps. Eggs, 3-5, rarely 6, green- 
ish blue, deeper in shade than those of the foregoing species. Av. size, 1.10 x .83 
(ZL) 2S Aa). 
General Range.—Eastern North America west to the Rocky Mountains, 
breeding north to Labrador, Manitoba, and eastern Assiniboia; south in winter 
to the West Indies and the Valley of the Amazon. Accidental in the British 
Islands and Italy. 
Range in Ohio.—Common migrant. Rather common summer resident in 
northern Ohio; less common southerly. Everywhere less common than preceding 
species. 
