TROGON. — COCCYZUS. 435 



Breeding-season. Unkiiow)i in Biitish Guiana. 



^V*?5^ UiiiecordeJ in British Guiana. 



Eggs. UndescribeJ from British Guiana. 



Range in British Guiana. Mount Roraimn, Upper Takutu 

 Mountains, Ituribisi River, Bartica (McConnell collection) ; Mount 

 Roraima, 3500 ft,, Bartica, Kaniakusa, Kamarang River ( Whitely). 



Extralimital Range. Surinam {Gmelin), Trinidad. 



Habits. Schomburgk states (Reis. Guian. iii. p. 719) that the 

 mode of life and habits of this bird are like those of 2\ melano- 

 pterus {= T. viridis). It is common in the neighbourhood of the 

 Demerara River. 



Order COCCYGES. 

 Family CUCULIDiE. 



This family, which is distributed throughout the temperate and 

 tropical regions of the world, has many peculiar forms, and is 

 divided into six subfamilies, five of which, including the genera 

 Coccyzus, Piaya, Neomorphus, Tapera, Dromococcyx, Crotophaga, 

 and Giura, with thirty species, occur in South America — six of 

 the genera and twelve of the species are represented in British 

 Guiana. 



The (.*uckoos are of medium size with long tails, short legs, and 

 zygodactyle feet. 



Genus COCCYZUS Yieill. 



Coccyzus Vieillot, Anal. nouv. Orn. p. 28, 1816. Type C. amrricanus 

 (Linn.). 



The members of this genus have ten tail-feathers, tail fan- 

 shaped, nostrils oval, and bill decurved. 



Key to the Species. 



A. Under surface rvifescent buff. 



a. Larger, wing more than 120 mm., 



tail more than 140 mm. ; bill parti- 

 coloured C. minor, p. 436. 



b. Smaller, wing less than 120 mm., 



tail less than 140 mm. ; bill uniform 



black C melacoryphus, p. 437. 



B. Under surface white or greyish white. 



r. Inner webs of quills rufous C. aniericanus, p. 437. 



d. Inner webs of quills white or greyish 



white C. eu/en. p. 43ft. 



2 F 2 



