470 NOKTII AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Famiiv CUCULIDiE. — The Cuckoos. 



Char. Bill compressed, usually more or less lengthened and with dccurved culmen. 

 Rictal bristles ll'W or none. Nostrils e.\pose<l, no nasal tufts. Tail long and soft, of 

 ei^'ht to twelve featliers. Toes in pairs, deeply eleft or not united, the outer anterior toe 

 usually versatile, but directed rather laterally than backward. 



The Cuculida' Ibnn a strongly marked group of birds, easily distinguished 

 among the Zifjodavtyll by the characters given above. The outer toe is 

 versatile, but in the American tbrni is more lateral than posterior in the 

 skin, standing sideways, or even anterior, more frequently than behind. 



Modern systematists divide the family into six or more subfamilies, of 

 which two only are American, none of these having more than ten tail- 

 feathers. These may be characterized as follows : — 



Coccyginae. Face covered with feathers; bill elongated, more or less 

 cylindrical, straight or curved. Tail of ten feathers. 



Bill about the length of the head, or not longer ; curved. Loral 

 feathers soft. Legs weak, tarsus shorter than the toes. Arboreal . Coccygus. 



Bill longer than tlie head ; straight. Loral feathers stiff, bristly. Tarsi 

 much longer than the toes. Terrestrial ..... Geococcyx, 



Crotophagiuse. Face naked. Bill much compressed, w-ith a sharp crest. 

 Tail of eight feathers. Bill shorter than and nearly as high as the head. 



Crotophaga. 



Subfamily COCCYGINiE. 



Genus GEOCOCC7Z, Wagler. 



Geococcyx, Wagleij, Isis, 1831, 524. 



Leptostoma, Swainsox, ( 'lassification Birds, II, 1837, 325. 



Gen. Char. Bill long and strong, slightly compressed, and at least as long as the head ; 

 head crested ; loral featliers, and those at base of bill, stiffened and bristly. Nostrils 

 elongated, linear. A naked colored skm around and behind the eye ; the eyelids ciliated. 

 Tarsi longer than the toes ; very stout. Wings very short and concave ; the tertials as 

 long as the primaries. Tail longer than the head and body ; composed of ten narrow, 

 much graduated feathers. 



This remarkalde genus is represented in the United States by a single 

 species, known as the Paisano, Chaparral Cock, or sometimes Koad-IJunner, 

 on account of its frequenting puldic ]ughw^ays. Its very long legs enable 

 it to run with great rapidity, faster even than a fleet horse. A second 

 species occurs in Mexico, the Gcococrjf,,- affini>i of Hartlaub. This is smaller, 

 and differently proportioned. In both the feathers above are bronzed brown 



