CUCULID^—COCCYGIN^ : AMERICAN CUCKOOS. 



475 



428. 



saddled on a branch or in a fork. Though not habitually parasitic, they often slip an egg in 

 other birds' nests, or in each other's. Oviposition is tardy or irregular ; the nests usually (-on- 

 tain eggs in different stages of development, or eggs and young together. They are well-known 

 inliabitants of our streets and p.arks as \vell as of woodland, noted for their loud, jerlcy cries, 

 which they are supposed to utter most frequently in falling weather, whence their popular 

 name, " rain-crow." Migratory, insectivfirous, and frugivorous. 



Analysis of Species. 

 Bill black and bluish. 



White below. Wings with little or no cinnamon Tail-foatbers not broadly white-ended. 



erijthrophthalmus 428 

 Bill black and yellow. Tail-featbers broadly wbite-etider]. 



White below. Wings extensively cinnamon , americanus 429 



Tawny below. Ears dusky seniculus 430 



Fig. 327. 



- Yellow-billed Cuckoo, ^ nat. size. (From Brehm.) 



C. erythrophthal'mus. (Gr. ipvdpos, emthros, reddish ; o(t,6a\fi6i, opUlmlmos, eye.) Black- 

 billed Cuckoo. ^ 9 : Bill blackish except occasionally a trace of yellowish, usually bluish 

 at base below. Above, satiny olive-gray. Below, pure white, sometimes with a faint tawny 

 tinge on the fore-parts. Wings with little or no rufous. Lateral tail-feathers not contrasting 

 with the central, their tips for a short distance blackish, then obscurely white ; no bold contrast 

 of black with large white spaces. Bare ciroumocular space livid : edges of eyelids red. Length 

 11.00-12.00 ; extent about 15.50 ; wing 5.00-5.50 ; tail 6.00-6.50 ; bill under an inch. Very 



