YELLOW-BILLED AMERICAN CUCKOO. 193 



Having mentioned tlicse circumstances to my friend, Dr. T. 

 M. Brewer, and requested him to pay particular attention to 

 these birds while breeding, he has sent me the following note : 

 — " The fact you intimated to me last July I have myself ob- 

 served. The female evidently commences incubation imme- 

 diately after laying her first egg. Thus I have found in the 

 nest of both species of our Cuckoos* one egg quite fresh, 

 while in another the chick will be just bursting the shell ; 

 and again, I have found an egg just about to be hatched 

 while others are already so, and some of the young even 

 about to fly. These species are not uncommon in Massa- 

 chusetts, where both breed, and both are much more numer- 

 ous some years than others." Mr. Audubon adds, " I found 

 the Yellow-billed Cuckoo plentiful and breeding in the 

 Texas ; and it is met with, on the other hand, in Nova 

 Scotia, and even in Labrador, where I saw a few. It has 

 been observed on the Columbia river by Dr. Townsend. 

 No mention is made of it in the Fauna Boreali-Americana. 

 Many spend the winter in the most southern portions of the 

 Floridas." Pennant, in his Arctic Zoology, says of this 

 bird, "It arrives in New York in May, makes its nest in 

 June, and retires from North America in autumn." 



The appearance of four examples of an American species 

 in this country has caused some speculation. As flxr as I 

 have been able to ascertain, these birds were obtained late in 

 the month of August, or early in the month of September. 

 M, Tcmminck, unwilling to consider them as miorations from 

 North America to Europe, thinks it probable the bird may 

 yet be found in the North of Europe. 



The beak is as long as the head ; both mandibles slightly 

 curved, the upper one brownish black inclining to yellow at 

 the base ; the under mandible yellow, except at the extreme 

 point, which is nearly black ; the irides hazel ; the top of the 



* The other is Uie Black-billed American Cuckoo. 

 VOL. II. O 



