196 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Proc. 4TH SER. 
observed flying, usually only from bush to bush. They were 
very shy and could not be approached closely, the majority 
of specimens being shot with 12-gauge shells or with a shot 
pistol, and not with an auxiliary barrel. When approached 
a cuckoo usually flew a short distance into the brush and 
then stopped to see if it was being followed; if so, it would 
go on a little further and then stop again. Sometimes, how- 
ever, if the collector remained motionless, the bird became 
inquisitive and approached close enough to be shot. 
On the ground cuckoos were swift runners. Their chief 
food seemed to be grasshoppers varied with occasional 
katydids. 
The call of this cuckoo was similar to that of the Cocos 
Island Cuckoo, and was heard oftener than the birds them- 
selves were seen. In late May and early June on Charles and 
in early June on Chatham, they were not heard to call. 
Nests were not infrequent, although those found were 
usually old or deserted. They were almost invariably built 
several feet above the ground in bushes or small trees, often 
in hard wood bushes (Psidiwm galapageium). They were 
commonest on Chatham in the native vegetation. 
On January 27 at Wreck Bay, Chatham, Mr. Beck ob- 
tained three eggs with incubation just begun. The nest 
from which they were taken was about six inches across 
and composed of little twigs and orchilla moss. It was 
placed in the fork of a small tree 12 feet above the ground. 
The parent stayed on the nest until approached closely, and 
then remained in the tree until shot. In the same locality and 
on the same day, Mr. Hunter found a nest with one fresh egg. 
When the nest was examined two days later, the egg was 
broken and the bird nowhere to be seen. The nest was eight 
feet above the ground in a bush of Psidium galapageium. It 
was very shallow and built of twigs loosely put together, and 
lined with moss. 
At 1000 feet elevation on the west side of Tagus Cove 
Mountain, a nest containing three eggs was found by Mr. 
Beck on March 28 in a bush growing on a steep canyon side. 
It was composed of dry twigs with a few grass stems for lining. 
On January 27 a female was shot near Wreck Bay and an 
egg ready to be laid was taken from her oviduct. A 
specimen taken at Banks Bay, Albemarle, on April 15, had 
