orcrLinvE-TiiE cuckoos. 41^5 



making a low cnoinj,' noise like tliat of a dove, for which it was at first mis- 

 taken. He afterwanls lieard it eooing harsiily and ciiatterin.u its mandibles 

 toyetlier, at the same time jerking up its tail and erecting its crest. 



Wliere not molested, Dr. Cooper states that they hecome (juile tame, and 

 seem to iiave a preference for towns and houses. At Santa Uarliara he 

 observed one young Itird nearly Hedged as early as ^lay. 



Mr. A. J. (h-ayson had one of these birds in conlinement, wliich became 

 quite tame, and readily fed upon any kind of raw meat, lait jirelerred lizards 

 and small birds, tlie hitter of which it swallowed, featlicrs and all. If given 

 to him alive, he would play with tliem awhile l)efore swallowing them, as a cat 

 does witli a mouse. They are sometimes tamed, and kei)t about gardens to kill 

 mice and insects. Di'. Kennerly also states that when taken alive they soon 

 become quite tame, and willingly remain aliout a house, soon destroying all 

 the mice in the vicinity, which tliey catch with as nnuh dexterity as a cat. 



Air. Dresser found this bird abundant t'-vougjiout the mescjuite regions, and 

 more particularly so near the Ilio Grande. Ho found its eggs near San An- 

 tonio in April and .May, and received them e en as late as the 2:'.d of Sejitem- 

 ber. They build a clumsy nest of mesquite twig.s, ])laced at .some heiglit 

 on a bougii or in a hollow tree, and lay from two to four ]iure wliite eggs. 

 The stomachs examined by Mr. Dresser were found to contain small snakes, 

 lizards, and ticks. He had one in a .semi-domesticated state at Matamoras, 

 which became very tame, and was so nuschievous that lie could not let it 

 remain in the house. It would steal and hide everything that it conlil cany 

 off, and was particularly fond of tearing up letters and u]isetting tlie inkstand. 

 It was never caged or tied up, and would frequently ]iay thi' neighbors a 

 visit, always returning Ijefore evening. He fed it on raw meat and lizards. It 

 flew witii great ease, and was very fond of perching on the house-top. Tiiis 

 bird had a singular antipathy to a tame ])arrot, and wlienever the latter was 

 let out of the cage, it would get into a rage, and either go to tlie house toji 

 or decani J) to some of the neighbors. 



The eggs are white, of a rounded oval, equal at either end, and measure 

 l.GO by 1.22 inches. 



Gkxus COCCYGUS, Vieillot. 



Co(r!i::ii.i, Vikii.i.ot, Analyse, 1810. (Tvpc, <'iirii/ii.< iimerieaiius, LiNN.) 

 Enjthrophrm, Swainsox, Class. Birds, 11, 18:!7, «2-2. 



Gex. Cii.\i(. Head witlioiU crest : fcatlior.'! about base (if bill .«(ifr : bill nearly as loiiir 

 n.s tho head, dcM'iavcd, slondi-r, and attcumatod towards the end. Xdstrils linear. Wings 

 lengthened, reaeliinpr the middle of the tail; the tertials short. Tail of ten graduated 

 feathers. Feet weak ; tarsi shorter than the middle toe. 



The species of Cocci/(/ii>i are readily distinguished from those of Geococcyx 

 by their arlioreal habits, confining themselves mainly to trees, instead of 

 living habitually on the ground. The plumage is soft, fine, and compact. 



