92 



NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT, 



Part X 



WHITE WINGED CROSS-BILL. YELLOW BILLED CUCKOO. BLACK BILLED CUCKOO. 



Dr. Brewer from Coventry (now Orleans,) 

 in this state. Its color is greenish white, 

 thickly covered, more especially towards 

 the large end, with ver}^ biown spots. 

 They are said to breed in winter, and to 

 have their nests in pines, spruces and firs. 



WHITE WINGED CROSS-BILL. 

 Loxia levcoptera — Gmf.l. 



Description. — General color of the 

 male rich carmine, inclining to crimson, 

 tlusky on the middle of the back; scapu- 

 lars, wings, tail and upper tail coverts, 

 black ; two broad bands of white on the 

 wings ; sides brownish streaked with 

 dusky ; wings pointed, 3 outer primaries 

 longest; tail ernarginate. Female with 

 the upper parts dusky, the feathers mar- 

 gined with grayish-yellow; rump, breast 

 and lower parts yellow, streaked with 

 dusky. Length 6^, spread 10|. — Aud. 



History. — The White Winged Cross- 

 Bill resides mostly to the northward of 

 the United States, and comes hither in 

 flocks during tiie winter. They are, how- 

 ever, according to Audubon, not uncom- 

 mon in New Jersey and Penns3-lvania, 

 where a few of them breed. Mr. Hutch- 

 ins says that this migratory species reach- 

 es Hudson's bay in March, where it 

 breeds, making its nest of grass, mud and 

 feathers, in pine trees, and laying 5 white 

 eggs marked with yellowish spots. 



TOKED-TOED BIRDS. 



In this order the form of the bill ia va- 

 rious, but in general more or less arched 

 and hooked. The toes are always in pairs 

 directed two backward and two forward, 

 and hence they received the name Zygo- 

 dactijli, or yoked-toed. The hind exterior 

 toe is, however, often reversible. 



Genus Coccyzus. — Vieillot. 



Generic Characters. — Bill strong, compres- 

 sed with a distinct ridge and slightly bent from 

 its base ; under m.^ndible straight, sloping at the 

 tip; nostrils basal half covered by a naked mem- 

 brane ; tongue short, narrow and acnie ; tarsus 

 naked, longer, or about the length of the longest 

 toe ; two i.nierior toes united ai the base ; nails 

 short and but little curved ; wings rather short; 

 3d and 4lh primaries longest. 



YELLOW BILLED CUCKOO. 



Coccyzus amcricamis . — Bon.vparte. 



Description. — Color above dark gray- 

 ish-brown, with greenish and yellowish 

 -silky reflections; tail long, the two mid- 



dle feathers the color of the back ; the 

 others dusky gradually shortening to the 

 outer oni>s, with large white tips, the two 

 outer scarcely half the length of the mid- 

 dle ones; below white; feathers of the 

 thighs large and hiding the knees as in 

 the hawks; legs and leet pale greenish- 

 blue ; iris hazel ; lower mandible and 

 lower })art of the upper mandible yellow. 

 Fcmnlc, with tjie 4 middle tail-feathers 

 witliout white spots. Length 12, spread 

 le.—Sutt. 



History. — The Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 

 returns from the south about the first of 

 May and is much of'tener heard than seen, 

 as it keeps itself for the most part con- 

 cealed in the thick tops of trees and bush- 

 es. It breeds in the southern part of the 

 state. Its nest is placed on the horizon- 

 tal branch of a small tree, and is very 

 slovenly put together. The eggs, from 2 

 to 4, are of a pale bluish green color. This 

 cuckoo destroys many cattcrpillars, beetles 

 and other insects, but he gets a sliare of 

 his living less creditably by sucking tlie 

 eggs ofotlier small birds. His note i3 

 coarse and unpleasant. The cry of this 

 bird has been thought to presage rain, and 

 hence it is sometimes called the Rairt^ 

 Crow, 



THE BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO. 



Coccyzus dominicus. — Nuttali.. 



Description. — General color above 

 light hair brown with glossy bronze re* 

 flections ; beneath white approaching to 

 brownish ash on the throat, breast and to- 

 wards the tail ; tail feathers, excepting 

 the two middle ones, tipped with white; 

 a naked space of a bright brick red color 

 around the eye; bill as long as the head, 

 compressed laterally, arched and acute ; 

 upper mandible brownish black ; lower, 

 bluish; tarsus and feet bluish and scutil- 

 ated ; nostrils basal, lateral and partly 

 closed by a membrane ; legs rather short; 

 body slender ; tail long, graduated, con- 

 sisting of 10 feathers. Length of the spe- 

 cimen before me 11^ inches; folded wing 

 ^\ ; tail 6, and reaching 3| beyond the 

 folded wing; gape 1.2, bill above .9. 



History. — This species is believed to 

 be more common in Vermont than the 

 preceding, but resembles it in appearance 

 and mode of living. It, however, arrives 

 later and passes the breeding season 

 more in the woods. Their nests are 

 made of twigs and lined with moss, but 

 are very flat and shallow. The eggs, 

 from 3 to 5, ^e of a bluish green color, and 

 smaller than those of the preceding spe- 

 cies. 



