470 NOIITII AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Family CUCULIDJE. — The Cuckoos. 



Char. Bill compressed, usually more or loss lengthened and with decurvod culmen. 

 RJL'tal bristles l\;w or none. Nouitrils exposed, no uasiil tuft;-. Tail long and soft, of 

 eif,'lit to twelve feathers. Toes in ])airs, deeply eleft or not united, the outer anterior toe 

 usually versatile, but directed rather laterally than backward. 



The Ciirulida; form a strongly marked group of birds, easily distinguished 

 among the Zyfjodadyli by the characters given above. Tlie outer toe is 

 versatile, l)ut in the American form is more lateral than posterior in the 

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



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

 wliioli 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 loss 

 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 the head ; straight. Loral feathers stiff, bristly. Tarsi 



much longer than the toes. Terrestrial Geococcyx. 



Crotophaginae. Face naked. Bill much compressed, with a sharp crest. 

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



Crotophaga. 



SUBFA.MILY COCCYOINiE. 



Gesus GEOCOCCYZ, Waoler. 



Ocococci/.t; Waolkii, Isis, 1831, 524. 



Leptostoma, Swaixsox, ( 'lii.ssifiuution Birds, II, 1837, 325. 



Gen. CiiAU. Bill long and strong, slightly compressed, and at least a,^ long as the head ; 

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

 elongated, linear. A naked colored skin around and l)ehind the eye ; the eyelids ciliated. 

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

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

 much graduated feathers. 



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

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

 on account of its frequenting public highways. Its very long legs enable 

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

 species occurs in ^le.xico, the Gcocom/.r ajjiniti of TIartLiub. This is smaller, 

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



