BliACK-BlLLED CUCKOO. 391 



blackish, then obscurely white. Bill blackish except occasionally a trace of yellowish 

 below. Eye- lids red ; bare oircum-oonlar space purplish. Length, 11-12 ; wing, 5-5^ ; 

 tail, 6-6i; bill under 1. 



Habitat, North America to the Booky Mountains. North to Labrador. South through 

 Mexico and Central America to the Valley of the Amazon. Cuba, rarely. Accidental 

 in Europe. 



Very common summer resident. Breeds. Arrives in May and re- 

 mains until late in September. As soon as the leaves on forest trees are 

 sufficiently advanced to afford concealment, the Black-billed Cuckoo 

 makes its appearance in woods and gardens. The first intimation of his 

 arrival, for he is very shy and retiring in his habits, is his peculiar note. 

 This is a prolonged, monotonous, guttural sound, which has been likened 

 to the noise made by water running from the mouth of a jug. It is from 

 this rapid croaking note, and the belief that it was premonitory of wet 

 weather, that these birds have obtained their common name of Rain 

 Crows. 



Some seasons they are much more abundant during the spring migra- 

 tions than others. During the latter part of May, 1873, when a white 

 moth was exceedingly abundant, the Black-billed Cuckoo appeared in 

 great numbers, and fed upon them. 



The Black-billed Cuckoo is more frequently found in upland woods 

 than its Yellow-billed relative, though it shares with the latter its 

 favorite haunts, the sunny thickets on the borders of streams. 



Although near relatives of the notorious Cuckoo of Europe, which, like 

 our Cow-bird, lays its eggs in the nest of other birds, our Cuckoos gener- 

 jflly respect the marriage tie, and endeavor to perform all the duties 

 consequent. Still there are occasions when they adopt the less reputable 

 custom of their distant relatives and deposit their eggs in the nest of 

 other birds and delegate paternal duties to them. 



The eggs of Cuckoos have been found^ in the nest of the Cedar Bird, 

 Robin and Wood Thrush, all of which birds lay eggs resembling those of 

 the Cuckoo in color, and an anonymous writer in the "Oologist" (1877) 

 records the finding of two eggs of a Cuckoo in the nest of a " Redbird " 

 near Gambler, Ohio. 



Misses Jones and Shulze figure beautifully the nest and eggs of this 

 species, with the following account of its nesting habits : , 



The place usually selected for the nest is a wood where there is a thick undergrowth, 

 and where the grape, iyy, and other climbing vines are found. 



While no particular tree or shrub seems, more than another, adapted to its use, the 

 low, damp places near rivers and smaller streams are more likely to be chosen than the 

 high lands, probably owing to the greater luxuriance of suitable vegetation near the 

 water- courses. 



