CUCKOO NOTES. 141 



gloomy, hazel eyes, and the peculiar way it 

 has of glaring half-stupidly at one when one 

 approaches it, adds much to this unbalanced 

 effect. In flying from one tree to another it 

 does not cut straight away through the air, 

 but dives downward, nearly to the ground, 

 sometimes, and then whirls along in a zig-zag, 

 erratic line, rising again at a sharp angle be- 

 fore alighting. While in the air there is a 

 sparkle of white in its over-long tail, and a 

 sheen of greenish silver-gray along its neck 

 and back, while on its wings trembles the 

 glint of burnished copper blended with red- 

 dish cinnamon tints. 



While in repose it may be described as fol- 

 lows : Bill black above, yellow below, long, 

 broad at base, gently curved ; feet lead-col- 

 ored ; back, darkish olive-gray ; under parts, 

 white ; wings shot with vivid cinnamon, espe- 

 cially on inner webs of quills ; tail bearing 

 on central feathers a continuation of the color 

 of the back ; outer tail-feathers tipped and 

 edged with clear, pure white. Total length, 

 1 1. 50 inches; alar extent, 16.00 inches. 



Its nest when built in an orchard differs in 

 construction somewhat from its wildwood 

 architecture; but it may be easily identified 

 by the open, sketchy effect of its outlines, its 

 flatness and shallowness and the presence in 

 its texture of the tassels and spikes of amen- 

 taceous trees carelessly woven through the 

 tangle of coarse twigs and fragments of leaves. 

 The eggs, deposited irregularly in the oval, 

 saucer-like cup, are of a very delicate greenish 

 shade of color not easy to describe. I have 

 found occasionally as many as seven in a nest, 

 though four is the usual number. 



