CEOTOPHAGA. 543 



Subfam. CROTOPHAGIN^. 



The Crotophaginge form a most distinct subfamily of Cuckoos, and differ from all 

 others in its members having only eight rectrices in the tail. Two genera are known — 

 the widely spread Croiophaga with three species, and Guira, which is confined to Brazil 

 and Paraguay. The eggs of the members of both genera are peculiarly covered with a 

 cretaceous coating, evenly overspread in the case of Crotophaga, but in mottled lines in 

 Guira, between which the blue ground-colour is shown. 



CROTOPHAGA. 



Crotophaga, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. i. 154 (1766) ; Shelley, Cat. Birds Brit. Mas. xix. p. 427. 



Crotofhaga differs widely from most of the other genera of Cuckoos. Its members 

 have only eight rectrices, a feature shared by the South-American Guira, from which 

 CrotoyJiaga differs in the colour of the plumage and in the shape of the bill. 



The latter is much compressed with a high arched culmen, the sides of the maxilla 

 are either smooth or furrowed, the lores and orbital region nearly naked, with a few 

 scattered bristle-like feathers ; the tarsi are moderately long, about equalling the 

 middle toe ; the wings are moderately long, the primaries considerably exceeding the 

 secondaries ; the tail is long and rounded, the feathers straight and moderately stiff; 

 the plumage is black with steel-blue or greenish lustre, and with the feathers of the 

 anterior portion of the body and head edged so as to give a scale-like appearance. 



The nesting-habits of Crotophaga are peculiar in that several birds seem to use a 

 common nest in which to lay their eggs. The food consists largely of ticks, which the 

 birds pick from the skins of cattle, in whose society they are usually found. 



Three species of the genus are known : one, G. ani, is common all through the 

 West-Indian Islands, in Florida, and many parts of South America, and also occurs in 

 some widely separated districts in Central America. C. sulcirostris is the best known 

 and commonest species in Mexico and Central America, and is found everywhere from 

 the Rio Grande Valley southwards ; in South America it occurs in countries bordering 

 the Pacific Ocean as far south as Peru. G. major, the third species, is a common South- 

 American bird found along our southern border. 



1. Crotophaga major. 



Crotophaga major, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 363'; Cass. Pr. Ac. Phil. 1860, p. 138"; Scl. & Salv. 

 P. Z. S. 1879, p. 536'; Shelley, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xix. p. 428*. 



Nitenfci-ohalybeo-nigra, capitis, cervicis, dorsi, scapularium, tectricum alarum et pentoris plumis aeneo-viridi 

 inconspicue margin atis ; cauda purpurascenti ; rostro et pedibus nigris, rostri culmine acuto medialiter 

 abrupte elevato, lateribus glabris. Long, tota 19-0, alae 7'5, caudae rectr. med. 10-0, rectr. lat. 7'7, rostri 

 a riotu l-S, tarsi 1-7. (Desor. maris ex Nichi, Colombia. Mus. nostr.) 



2 mari similis. 



