482 NORTH AMKRICAN BIRDS. 



Coccygus minor, C'ahanis. 



MANOBOVE CUCKOO, 



f t'liculiis minor, Omki.in, Sys' X t. I, 1788, 411. iCoccyzm minor, Caiianis, C'al). 

 Joiinml liii- Oin. Ibi'iil, lni (Ciiha). — Uaiiid, Uinls N. Am. IS.'iS, 7S. — Ciuiiliis 

 scnicii/iiK, I.ATii. Inil. I, ITitii, •Jl!t. Cocci/^K.inrniriiiii.i, Ni"nAi.i., Man. I, 18a-2, flns. 

 — Ai-i). Oiii. liidf,'. II, 18154, ;i!Mi, pi. il-ix. — 111. Hinls AiiKMiuii, IV, 1842, 30;}, pi. 

 celxxvii. -dos.si:, IJiiils .limiaiea, 281. — ISos. Coiispc'ctus, 1850, III. En/throp/tri/s 

 scnictilKs, liiiN. List, 1838. (heci/r/ufi domiaicus, Sci,. ("at. 180'_>, 32.'!. 



Sp. riiAu. T.nwor inan(lilil(! yellow, c.xcfpt at the ti]). Hody aliovc olivaecnns, stronji;ly 

 tinged with asliy towards ami mi the head. IJeiieath pale yellowisli-lirown, darkest on 

 the legs and abdoineii, lieeoining liglitcr to the liill. An t'longatod spot of dark iihiinl)uoii.s 

 behind the eye. Tiinei- edges of the quills and niider wing-ooverts like the belly. Tail- 

 feathers, exeept the eentral, blai'k, with a sharply <leliiie(l lip of white for about an iii(;h, 

 this color not extending along the outer web of tlu; ipiill. Length about 12.K0 ; wing 

 about .").'jr). 



Hah. Florida Keys to West Indie.s. Localities :? Sta. Crii/. (XnwTo.v, Ibis, I, l.OO) ; 

 Cuba (Cah. .r. IV, 154; GfNni,. Repert. I, 1806, 295); Jamaica (Oo.ssk, B. Jam. 281). 



This species is readily (listinoni.slialjle by its fulvous under parts, dai'k ear- 

 coverts, and lack oi' ruluus on inner \ve1)H of (piills. It lias the yellow Iiill 

 and dark tail, with broad white tips, of 0. ameviminia, althouoh the white 

 does not extend along the outer web of the featiiers. 



According to ^Ir. Audubon, this s]iecies is a regular summer visitor to 

 Key West and the other Florida keys. 



This species is more es])ecially West Indian, occurring in nearly all the 

 islands. There are some local vtiriations in color (I'orto-Rican being much 

 redder, liahiunan paler), iis well as in size, liut in a large series from the same 

 island there will be found such differences as to warrant us in considering 

 all as one species. In a very large series before us, we cannot see any 

 tangible ditference, although Cabanis and Sclater recognize a C. nmotcji from 

 the Antillean West Indies, as distinguished from C. urnicHliin from South 

 American and the windward West Indies ; the former, smaller and paler, 

 iind, according to Cabanis, with the white of tip of tail confined to the imier 

 web ; the latter darker beneath, and larger. These characters I do not find 

 snbstantiated, nor have I seen one specimen without white in both webs at 

 the ends of the tail-feathers. 



As the name of (.'. minor is the earliest one for at least the South Ameri- 

 can race, we retain it in jireference to scaiculiis, as although scarcely minor 

 in this genus, it is so compared with Piaj/a, Geococrt/.r, and Sdurothcni. 



Habits. This species claims a place in the fauna of North America as a 

 resident of the Floridti keys. This is the only locality positively known as 

 its habitat within the limits of the territory of the United States. The 

 only sjiecimen referred to in tlu; ninth volume of the Pacific Railroad Sur- 

 vtivs was supjiosed to li.ave been olifained in Florida. Mr. Nuttall, who 



