24 HISTORY OF 



of the present account. From the imitative sound of its note, 

 it is known in many places by the name of the Cow Bird. It 

 is also called, in Virginia, the Rain Crow, being observed to 

 be most clamorous immediately before rain." 



This bird, unlike our common Cuckoo, builds a nest and 

 rears its own young. According to Wilson, they pair, in the 

 United States, early in May, and, about the tenth, commence 

 building in some retired part of a wood. 



Above, the Virginian Cuckoo is of a blueish brown colour, 

 with greenish reflections ; below, of a pure white ; centre tail 

 feathers, longest, and of the same colour with the back ; lateral 

 ones, black tipped with white, and gradually shortened from 

 the centre ones; feet, blueish. The female much resembles 

 the male, but may be distinguished by the four centre tail 

 feathers being of the same colour as the back, and the white 

 not being so pure as in the male. 



Wilson remarks, that, in dissecting this bird, the inner mem- 

 brane of the gizzard, which in many other species is hard and 

 muscular, in this is extremely loose and soft, capable of great 

 distention, and, what is remarkable, covered with a growth of 

 fine down or hair of a light fawn colour, which, he suggests, 

 may serve to protect them from the irritating effects of the 

 hair of certain caterpillars. 



Five or six specimens of this bird appear to have occurred 

 in the United Kingdom, of which one was killed on Lord 

 Cawdor's estate in Wales, in 1832. 



