YELLOW-BILLED AMERICAN CUCKOO. 191 



mucli like that of tlie common Dove ; the eggs are four or 

 five in number, of a uniform spotless greenish blue colour," 

 one inch two lines in length by eight lines in breadth. 



Wilson says that, " while the female is sitting, the male is 

 generally not far distant, and gives the alarm, by his notes, 

 ■when any person is approaching. The female sits so close 

 that you may almost reach her with your hand, and then preci- 

 pitates herself to the ground, feigning lameness, to draw you 

 away from the spot, fluttering, trailing her Avings, and tum- 

 bling over, in the manner of the Partridge, Woodcock, and 

 many other species. Both parents unite in providing food 

 for the young. This consists, for the most part, of cater- 

 pillars, particularly such as infest apple trees. The same 

 sort of insects constitute the chief part of their own sus- 

 tenance. They are accused, and with some justice, of suck- 

 ing the eggs of other birds, like the Crow, the Blue Jay, and 

 other pillagers. They also occasionally eat various kinds of 

 berries. But from the circumstance of destroying such 

 numbers of very noxious larvae, they prove themselves the 

 friends of the farmer, and are highly deserving of his pro- 

 tection." 



As every newly ascertained fact in the reproduction of the 

 species among the Cuckoos is a matter of interest, I here 

 append some recent additions by Mr. Audubon, inserted in 

 his fifth volume. 



" Whilst at Charlestown in South Carolina, in the early 

 part of June 1837, I was invited by J. S. Rhett, Esq. re- 

 siding in the suburbs of that city, to visit his grounds for the 

 purpose of viewing the nest of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo. 

 This I did in company with my fiiend Dr. S. Wilson, and 

 we found ourselves highly gratified, as we were enabled to 

 make the following observations : — 



" A nest, which was placed near the centre of a tree of mo- 

 derate size, was reached by a son of the gentleman on whose 



