LONG-BILLED RAIN CUCKOW. 123 



only when alarmed by an enemy. Besides insects, 

 it will also eat lizards, small snakes, frogs, young 

 rats, and sometimes even small birds. The snakes 

 they swallow head foremost, letting the tail hang 

 out of the mouth till the fore parts are digested. 

 This bird, probably, might be easily tamed, as 

 it is so gentle as to suffer the negro children to 

 catch it with their hands. Its gait is that of leap- 

 ing like a magpie, being frequently seen on the 

 ground ; and its flight but short, chiefly from bush 

 to bush. At the time when other birds breed 

 they likewise retire into the woods, but their nests 

 have never yet been found ; from which we should 

 be inclined to think that they were indebted to 

 them for the rearing of their young, in the man- 

 ner of the common Cuckow. It has the name 

 of Rain-bird, as it is said to make the greatest noise 

 before rain. 



The stomach of this bird, according to Sloane, 

 is of a very large size in proportion to the body, 

 which is frequently to be observed in the common 

 Cuckow. 



Mr. Abbot says that this bird sits on its own 

 eggs, and that the nests are not uncommon in 

 Georgia, he having procured two or three of them ; 

 one discovered by himself was built in the fork of 

 a small oak, made of sticks lined with moss, and 

 over that dead hiccory blossoms : the eggs were 

 five in number, rough, and of a blue colour, but 

 not very dark, and found complete about the latter 

 end of April. 



