142 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



ingly abundant, its presence greatly enlivening the green fields along the 

 slopes and meadow lands. The accompanying illustration is kindly fur- 

 nished by Mr. Percy Shufeldt, and is a good likeness of the species. 



Jno. W. Daniel, Jr.. Lynchburg. Va. 



A New Occupant. 



Perhaps the least sociable of our feathered acquaintances and even tha 

 most retired of his own family, is the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, commonly 

 known as the "Rain Crow." Yet in spite of his secluded habits, where 

 can we find a more valuable friend, one that is more deserving of our ad- 

 miration and protection than he.? 



It is in regard to one of his peculiar habits that I wish to call attention, 

 peculiar, yet I fear, not wholly abandoned by some of his higher neigh- 

 bors, that of his failure to provide a well built home for his mate and 

 young. The fact that the nest of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo is formed of 

 twigs and small branches loosely thrown together, forming a mere frame- 

 work upon which the eggs lie is probably known to most of his admirers, 

 while a few even accuse him of allowing his young to be reared in the 

 home of some unfortunate, who may have taken up his abode near by. 

 This latter lack of parental love, however, is very rarely practiced by 

 "americanus." 



While out one fine morning listening to the various songsters as they 

 poured forth their sweet notes from every bush and tree top, I chanced to 

 pass under a small box elder, in which the year before- 1 had discovered 

 the nest of a Little Blue Heron. Glancing carelessly upwards, merely to 

 ascertain if it was yet in the old position, 1 noticed a flutter of brown dart 

 from the nest and disappear among the leaves of a tree near by. In a 

 moment more I saw our friend "Coccyzus americanus" fly quickly to the 

 tree beyond and realized that a Yellow-billed Cuckoo had made his home 

 in the old nest. On climbing to it I found two young cuckoos and one 

 egg lying upon the old twigs, which apparently had not been changed 

 since the Blue Heron placed them there the year before. The cuckoo 

 had undoubtedly decided, since he had found a nest which answered his 

 purpose, that there was no need of exerting himself more in the building 

 of a new one; and therefore proceeded to rear his young in the heron's 

 nest. 



Sherid.\N R. Jones. Vermillion, S. D. 



