BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO 25 



size and colouring. It is about twelve inches long, 

 the beak much curved ; the prevailing colour of the 

 upper parts is light brown, the loose feathers on the 

 head, which form a crest, deep rufous. The upper 

 tail-coverts are long loose feathers of very unequal 

 leng h, the longest reaching nearly to the end of the 

 tail. The under surface is dirty white, or dashed 

 with grey. 



Azara says it is called Chochi in Paraguay, and has 

 a clear, sorrowful note of two syllables, which it 

 repeats at short intervals diuing the day, and also 

 at night during the love-season. It is solitary, scarce, 

 and ^cessively shy, escaping at the opposite side of 

 the tree when approached, and when seen having 

 the head and crest raised in an attitude of alarm. 

 In the northern part of the Argentine country it is 

 called Crispin, from its note which clearly pronounces 

 that name. Mr. Barrows found it common at Con- 

 cepcion on the Uruguay river, and has written the 

 following notes about it : 



" Several were taken in open bushy places, and 

 many others were heard. It is a plain but attractive 

 Cuckoo with a few-feathered crest, and long soft 

 flowing upper tail-coverts. The note is very clear 

 and penetrating, sounding much like the word 

 * Crispin * slowly uttered, and with the accent on the 

 last syllable. The birds are very shy, and I followed 

 one for nearly an hour before I saw it at all, and 

 nearly twice that time before any chance of a shot 

 was offered. There is some peculiarity in the note 

 which makes it imposisible to tell whether the bird is 



