Harris—Birds of the Kansas City Region. 201 
the south. Between the 15th and 23rd of September the last 
southward bound birds have generally left, though an individ- 
ual bird lingers now and then into October. Some exception- 
ally late dates are October 19, 1893, October 2, 1915, and Oc- 
tober 22, 1916. 
The nest is a very flimsy affair indeed as the eggs are often 
visible from beneath through the loosely constructed platform 
of coarse twigs. Three or four and rarely five greenish eggs 
are laid sometimes during June. 
There are many particulars regarding the life history of this 
peculiar bird that are worthy of attention; such as their appar- 
ent occasional parasitism, the simultaneous bursting of all the 
feather sheaths of the nestlings, the peculiar and unique mating 
behavior and their habit of feeding on certain irritating insect 
larvae that but few, if any, other birds will eat. 
CoccyzUS ERYTHROPHTHALMUS (Wilson). Black-billed Cuckoo. 
Uncommon migrant and rare summer resident. 
The arrival and departure of this cuckoo as well as its nest- 
ing habits, behavior and other points of life history are the 
same as those of the Yellow-billed, though it is far less fre- 
quently seen. 
A close observer may readily distinguish it in the field from 
the Yellow-billed. It should be looked for during the breeding 
season as but scant local nesting data has been secured. 
There are but three or four known sets of eggs in local col- 
lections that have been taken in this vicinity. 
Suborder Aleyones. Kingfishers. 
Family AuceprnipAr. Kingfishers. 
CERYLE ALCYON (Linn.). Belted Kingfisher. 
Common summer resident and rare winter resident. 
A few Kingfishers are found on the streams in late February 
but they do not become numerous until a week or two later. 
Only a few remain as late as the last half of November. Dur- 
ing open winters an occasional bird has been known to remain 
all winter near some favorite fishing hole. During the rather 
severe winter of 1916-1917, when the smaller streams were at 
times frozen solid, at least two birds were known to have spent 
