A long, slender bird, of elusive gliding flight. 

 He does not say "cuckoo," but something like cluck- 

 uck-uck-uk-uk, cow, co-xv, coiv, co<w. When seen at 

 all he is pretty sure to be skulking in the bushes 

 or low leafy trees or in flight from one such covert 

 to another. 



388. Black-billed Cuckoo — Coccyzus erythro- 

 phthalmus. 



Length 11^ inches. 



Resembles number 387 in nearly all respects, and 

 it is usually difficult when not impossible to dis- 

 tinguish either species in life in the field. The 

 present species differs from the former (which 

 see), chiefly in having a black bill and the tail 

 narrowly tipped with white; wings and tail gray- 

 ish brown like the back. 



The voice of the Black-bill is softer and the 

 notes more connected than in the Yellow-bill. Both 

 species do make nests of their own, tho these nests 

 are rude affairs of coarse sticks, lined with a little 

 softer material. The eggs are dull blue. 



46 



