272 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



shorter than outer anterior toe, with claw; small (wing less than 

 6.00, tail less than 8.00), and plumage without stripes. 



Coccyzus. (Page 273.) 



Genus CROTOPHAGA Linnaeus. (Page 271, pi. LXXDL, fig. 1.) 



Species. 



Common Characters. — Plumage entirely dull black, the feathers of head, neck, 

 and body edged or bordered with dull metallic bluish, greenish, or bronzy ; wings 

 and tail faintly glossed with metallic bluish or violet. Young, uniform dull sooty 

 black. West usually on trees (sometimes .in reedy marshes), composed of sticks, 

 etc., lined usually with leaves. Eggs 5-8 — sometimes numerous (evidently de- 

 posited by several birds) — dull glaucous-blue, but this usually covered by a super- 

 ficial white chalky crust. 



a 1 . Upper mandible smooth, or with a few transverse wrinkles ; length 12.00-15.00, 

 wing 5.50-6.00, tail 7.50-8.30. Eggs 1.35 X 1-01. Sab. "West Indies and 

 eastern South America ; rare or casual in southern Florida and Louisiana, 

 and accidental near Philadelphia 383. C. ani Linn. Ani. 



a?. Upper mandible with several distinct longitudinal grooves, parallel with the 

 culmen ; length 12.00-14.50, wing 5.50-6.50, tail 7J30-8.30. Eggs 1.26 X -94- 

 Sab. Middle America (both sides) from lower Eio Grande Valley in Texas 

 and Lower California to. Peru. 



384. C. sulcirostris Swains. Groove-billed Ani. 



Genus GEOCOCCYX Wagler. (Page 271, pi. LXXIX., fig. 2.) 



Species. 



Common Characters. — Plumage conspicuously striped with dull whitish or 

 buffy and bronzed brown, the latter glossed with green ; naked skin before and 

 behind eye brightly colored (blue, white, and red, or orange) in life. 



a 1 . Wing more than 6.00, tail more than 11.00 ; throat and chest light brownish, 

 streaked with dusky; above glossy blue-black anteriorly and metallic green- 

 ish brown posteriorly, the feathers broadly edged with whitish ; lower parts 

 whitish, the chest and fore-neck tinged with pale brownish or dull ochraceous, 

 and streaked with blackish; tail-feathers (except two middle, pairs) broadly 

 tipped with white, the outer webs glossy blue-black, the inner webs greenish ; 

 length 20.00-24.00, wing 6.50-7.00, tail 11.50-12.00. West in bushes or low 

 trees, rudely constructed of sticks, grasses, etc. Eggs 2-12, 1.54 X 1-17, ovate, 

 white, or buffy white. Sab. Northern Mexico and contiguous portions of 

 United States, north to western Indian Territory and Kansas, southern 

 Colorado, and California ; Lower California. 



385. G. californianus (Less.). Road-runner. 



