450 The Cuckoo-like Birds 



it will be necessary to describe them quite fully. The typical members are the 

 Anis, or Savanna Cuckoos (Crotophaga), the three species of which range from 

 the southern United States through Central America and the West Indies to 

 Peru and Argentina, and are characterized by a very deep and compressed bill, 

 a uniform blackish plumage, and the absence of an occipital crest. The Black 

 Ani, Blackbird, Savanna Blackbird, or Tick-bird (C. ani) is mainly a native of 

 the West Indies and eastern South America, its only claim to be considered 

 North American resting on its casual or fortuitous occurrences in southern Florida 

 and Louisiana. We may, however, quote from the very full account of Mr. 

 C. B. Taylor, who observed the bird in Jamaica. He says: "It is one of the 

 commonest birds near Kingston; and in most open and sparsely wooded lands, 

 or in the vicinity of cultivated clearings, little groups or companies may nearly 

 always be seen. Blackbirds are invariably present where cattle are pastured. 

 I cannot recollect an instance in which I have noted a herd of cows at pasture 

 without a flock of these birds appearing in company with them or in their 

 immediate vicinity. This association is doubtless chiefly for the purpose of feed- 

 ing on the ticks and other parasites on the animals, a good work largely shared 

 by the Crackles. It is most interesting to watch a company of Blackbirds when 

 thus engaged. Many are perched on the backs of the cattle (two or three some- 

 times on one cow), others are on the ground, hopping about fearlessly among 

 the grazing herd, searching for insects at the roots of the herbage or capturing 

 those disturbed by the feet of the cattle. Insects of all orders and their larvae^ 

 ticks, grubs, etc., form their chief food. Occasionally, perhaps, a few small 

 lizards are taken, and, I believe, the eggs of other birds. 



" Their nesting habits are exceedingly curious and interesting. Many indi- 

 viduals (possibly members of one flock) work together in the construction of 

 one large nest in which all the females of the company lay their eggs. The num- 

 ber of eggs deposited in different nests varies greatly, but is, of course, dependent 

 on the number of birds in the company. Six and eight eggs are commonly found. 

 I once took eleven, and in August last year (1891) I saw a clutch of twenty-one 

 that had been taken from a single nest ! It is probable that normally not more 

 than two eggs are deposited by each bird, but nothing definite can be said on this 

 point. The nest, which is usually placed high up in a tall tree, is a large, loosely 

 constructed mass of twigs, entirely lined with dried leaves. But the most 

 remarkable circumstance in connection with the nesting of these birds is the dis- 

 position of the eggs in regular layers with leaves between. This custom I had 

 long heard of before an opportunity offered for personal observation. In the 

 first nest I examined the eggs were in two distinct layers, separated by a deep 

 bed of dry leaves ; the bottom layer consisted of four eggs, and these, strange to 

 say, were all infertile. I believe this singular habit is practiced in all cases 

 where a large number of birds resort to the same nest. The eggs are a deep 

 bluish green, but when freshly laid are covered with a white chalky coat which 

 soon becomes much scratched and erased on all. Now what seems very singular 

 is that comparatively little of this chalky covering gets rubbed off the sides, when 

 from turning over the eggs in the nest we should expect to see the greatest extent 



