164 



BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO 



FIG. 86. 

 Tail of Black-billed Cuckoo. 



FIG. 87. 

 Thumb-marks on tail of Yellow-billed Cuckoo. 



The nests and eggs are similar, though the 

 Black-billed's nest is not quite so loosely put 

 together. 



The Cuckoos are among the first birds on Mr. 

 Forbush's list of those that eat the caterpillars 



of the gypsy 

 moth, which for 

 some years back 



gMMEp^H! fff 3 *' nas been ravag- 



ing New Eng- 

 land trees. Of 

 FlG88 the Black-billed's 



Gypsy Moth, eaten by Cuckoo. stomachs exam- 



ined by the Bio- 

 logical Survey, 16 contained 328 caterpillars, and 

 in addition 15 grasshoppers and some spiders. 

 The Cuckoos and Kingfishers are in the same 



%, 



