BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO. 241 



The Black-billed Cuckoo is a regular summer resident in Ontario, 

 -where it arrives about the end of May, after, which its peculiar note 

 may often be heard, especially before rain, and its lithe, slim form be 

 seen gliding noiselessly among the evergreens. Though not an 

 abundant species, it is generally distributed throughout the Province, 

 and well known to the country people as the " rain-crow." 



The food of the cuckoos consists chiefly of caterpillars, with an 

 occasional change to ripe fruit in the season. They also stand 

 charged with sucking the eggs of other birds. They retire to the 

 south early in September. 



Of the two cuckoos the present species is the more common in 

 Ontario, being more generalh' distributed. It also migrates a little 

 farther north, having been reported as a tolerably common resident 

 in Manitoba, where the other has not been observed. 



We have heard that the Yellow-billed Cuckoo occasionally shirks 

 the duties of incubation by leaving its eggs in the nest of another 

 bird, and now come three separate charges of similar misconduct 

 against the present species. 



In the Report of the Ornithological Sub-section of the Canadian 

 Institute for 1890, Dr. C. K. Clarke, of Kingston, Ontario, brings 

 forward three cases of parasitism in the Black-billed Cuckoo, of the 

 correctness of which there can be no doubt. , 



The first birds Dr. Clarke observed being imposed upon were a 

 pair of chipping sparrows, who raised the young cuckoo at the 

 expense of the family. 



Next came a pair of yellow warblers, whose protege soon crowded 

 out the legitimate occupants of the nest. They were raised from the 

 ground and placed within reach, but the big boy required all the 

 attention of the foster-parents, and the others died. During the 

 whole period, the old cuckoo was always to be found flitting about in 

 a restless manner, as if she had some doubt in regard to the ability of 

 the warblers to take care of her child. 



The third case was another pair of chipping sparrows, in whose 

 nest the cuckoo was observed sitting, and from which she did not 

 move till the observers almost touched her. The result was the same 

 as in the other cases. The young cuckoo threw the sparrows out as 

 soon as he had strength to do so. 



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