THE GROUND CUCKOO. 



425 



These birds are very soberly clad, the Great Honey-eater being brown above, darker on 

 the wings and tail, and grayish -white on the under surface of the body. 



We now arrive at the Ground Cuckoos, all of which are inhabitants of tropical America 

 and the neighboring islands, and are represented by the Rain-Bied. 



This curious Cuckoo, which is popularly known in Jamaica by the name of Rain-Bird, 

 is tolerably common in the West Indian Islands. 



According to Mr. Gosse, who has given a very interesting account of this species in his 

 "Birds of Jamaica," the Rain-Bird is so inquisitive at the sight of any new object, and so 

 reckless of danger while gratifying its curiosity, that it is often called by the name of Tom 

 Fool. Indeed, the first Rain-Bird which he saw lost its life by a stone, while sitting on a 

 bush only a few feet distant, so occupied with the two featherless bipeds that were approach- 

 ing, that it suffered itself to be struck from its perch by a missile that might have been 

 avoided with the least precaution. 



GKOOND CUCKOO.— Geococcyx califomianus. 



The wings of this bird are rather short and weak, so that it does not fly to any great 

 distance when alarmed, but merely flits to a branch a few yards in advance, and then turns 

 round and contemplates the intruder. It has a curious habit of sitting across a branch with 

 its head lower than its feet, and balanced by the long tail, which hangs nearly perpendicularly. 

 The voice is a harsh cackle, something like the words " ticky-ticky," pronounced with very 

 great rapidity. It feeds on animal substances, preferring insects and spiders to any other 

 kind of food, but not disdaining to prey upon the smaller reptiles and mammalia. The nest 

 seems to be made in the fork of a branch. The color of this bird is soft brown-gray upon the 



Vol. U.-54. 



