YELLOW-BILLED AMERICAN CUCKOO. 215 



feathers, and the two central tail-feathers, yellowish brown ; 

 the inner webs of the primary quill-feathers chestnut ; the 

 tail-feather on each side of the central pair black ; the 

 others black, broadly tipped with white ; the outer feather 

 white on the external web ; the tail graduated ; chin, throat, 

 neck in front, breast, belly, and under tail-coverts, greyish 

 white ; the flanks and thighs pale brown ; legs, toes, and 

 claws, greyish lead colour. 



The whole length of the bird is about twelve inches. 

 From the carpal joint to the end of the wing, five inches 

 and five-eighths ; the first quill-feather more than an inch 

 shorter than the second ; the second shorter than the third 

 or fourth, but equal to the fifth ; the third feather longer 

 than the fourth, and the longest in the wing. 



The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is an elegantly -formed bird. 

 The figure and description here given were taken from the 

 specimen killed in Wales, near Stackpole Court. " It was 

 first noticed on the top of an ash tree, in the act of feeding 

 on some small insects on the wing. As it appeared a nonde- 

 script, it was shot immediately, and nothing more observed 

 of its habits." Zoologist, 1851, p. 3046. 



The female differs very little from the male in colour. 



