4S() NoUTlI AMERICAN lUUDS. 



* 



tlijit of tlu» Vi»ll(»\v-]>ill. It is roiiijioscd of twi;j:s, rocjts, fine strips ot bark, 

 ninl iiiosM, jiiul is soinftiiurs iutt'iNvuM'u and jKirtiiiUy lined with the sott cat- 

 kins (»r trofs and Mossnnis of jdants. The ej^'j^s vary t'n»ni three to .si\ in num- 

 ber, and are often found to liave been (h'[»osited, and incubation commenced 

 on them, at irre;4ular intervals, and to Ihj in various stages of devtdojnnent 

 in the same nest. I have hardly been able to observe a s'.tMeient number 

 of their nests to be ai»le to state whether this species carries this irre^uhiiity 

 to :. - s thi! Vellow-bill, nor am I aware that it has ever i>een known to 

 extend its incubations into so late a perio<l of the season. It is, if anything, 

 more devote»l to its olfsjtring than tin; Vellow-bill. Hoth parents are as- 

 siduous in the duties of incubation, and in su]>plying food to each other and 

 to their offspring. In one instance, where the female had been shot l)y a 

 thoughtless boy, as she flew from the nest, the male bird successfully devoted 

 himself to the solitary duty of rearing the brood of five. At the time of 

 the death of the femahi the nest contained tw<» eggs and three young birds. 

 The writer was present when the binl was shot, and was unable to interpose 

 in season to prevent it. Returning to the spot not long afterwards, he found 

 the wid(»wed niale sitting upon the nest, and so unwilling to leave it as 

 almost to ])erniit himself to be cajjtured by the hand. His fidelity and his 

 entreaties were not disregarded. His nest, eggs, and young, were left undis- 

 turbed ; and, as they were visited from time to time, the young nestlings 

 were found to thrive under his vigilant care. The eggs were hatched out, 

 and in time the whole five were reared in safety. This single incident 

 shows how wide is the interval between these Cuckoos and their European 

 namesakes. 



The v*i'^ resembles that of the other, but is more spherical and of a much 

 darker shade of green. The color is equally fugitive, and even in a close 

 cabinet fades so that the eggs of the two species are undistinguishable, ex- 

 cept in size and shape. This e^<^ averages 1.10 inches in length hy .1)0 of 

 an inch in breadth. 



Genus CROTOPHAGA, Linn.eus. 



Crotophaga, Linn.eu.s, Systcma Natune, 1756. (Type, C. ani, Linn). 



(lEN. Char, Bill as lono; as the head, very much compi(>sse(l ; the cnlmen elevated into 

 a high crest, extendinj^ al>ove the level of the forehead. Nostrils exposed, elon^^ated. 

 Point of bill much docurved. Wini;>; lengthened, extending V)eyon<l the base of the tail, 

 the fourth or tifth ([uill longest. Tail lengthened, of eight graduated feathers. Toes long, 

 with well-developed claws. 



The feathers in this genus are entirely black ; those on the head and neck 

 with a peculiar stiffened metallic or scale-like border. The species are not 

 numerous, and are entirely confined to America. 



Of Crotophaf/a, two species have heretofore been recognized in the United 



