231 



COCCYZUS EKYTHEOPHTHALMUS. 



(BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO.) 



Cuculus erythrophthalmus, Wils. Am. Orn. iv. p. 16, pi. xxviii. (1811). 

 Coccyzus erythrophthalmus (Wils.), Bp. Obs. Wils. no. 48 (1825). 

 Coccyzus dominions, Nutt. Man. i. p. 556 (1832, nee Linn.). 

 Erythrophrys erythrophthahnus (Wils.), Bp. Comp. List, p. 40 (1838). 

 Coccyzus erythrophthalmus (Wils.), Baird, B. N. Am. p. 77(1858). 



Figurce notabiles. 

 Wils. I. c. ; Aud. B. Am. pi. 276. 



Ad. capite et corpore supra sicut in C. americano coloratis, sed alis vix cupreo nitentibus : remigibus primariis 

 in pogonio interno pallide cinnamomeo lavatis : rectricibus dorso concoloribus, omnibus prseter cen- 

 trales albo terminatis et plaga subapicali nigro-fusca, notatis : corpore subtiis albido : gula, pallide 

 flavo cervino lavata, gutturis lateribus et pectore griseo tinctis : Cauda subtiis griseo-cinerea : rostro 

 nigro, subtiis ad apicem cseruleo-corneo : iride fusca : marginibus palpebrarum sordide coccineis : 

 pedibus pallide plumbeis. 



Adult Male (Pennsylvania). Upper parts metallic olivaceous, with a faint coppery tinge on tbe wings; 

 forebead tinged with asby grey ; inner webs of primaries faintly tinged with cinnamon ; tail like the 

 back, all but the central feathers slightly tipped with white, and having a subterminal dark brown 

 mark; underparts white, the throat tinged with yellowish buff; sides of the throat and the breast 

 tinged with grey ; under surface of the tail-feathers hoary ash-grey ; bill entirely black above, the lower 

 mandible bluish towards the base; iris brown; round the eye a dull vermilion naked skin; legs light 

 plumbeous. Total length about 12 inches, culmen 0"92, wing 5"65, tail 6'5, tarsus 0'95. 



Adult Female (Kingston, Ontario) . Closely resembles the above, but is, if any thing, a trifle smaller in size. 



Some question may possibly arise with respect to the advisability of including rare stragglers in 

 the European avifauna ; and there is no doubt that not a few species have been included on but 

 doubtful grounds, this being more especially the case as regards Great Britain. I think, how- 

 ever, that if there is no doubt that a species has been obtained on one or two occasions, and there 

 is no probability of its being one escaped from confinement, and also if its range is such as to 

 admit of its having been driven by stress of weather, or straggled to the locality where it has 

 been obtained, that it is better to include and figure it than to pass it over in silence, as 

 it may prove that other unrecorded occurrences have taken place ; and attention having once 

 been called to the species, it may be found to straggle to within the limits of the Western 

 Palsearctic Region more frequently than has been supposed. The present species is one which 

 comes in this category ; for, so far I can ascertain, there are but two instances of its occurrence on 

 record, in one of which it was at first supposed to be a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. The first recorded 



