30 LIFE HISTOEIBS OF NOETH AMBEIOAS BIEDS. 



his "Birds of Minnesota," 1892 (p. 222). There is but little difference in the 

 size of their nests from those of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and the same meas- 

 urements will answer for both. 



The Black-billed Cuckoo is apt to desert its nest if it knows it has been 

 discovered. Judge J. N. Clark, of Say brook, Connecticut, writes me: "Of all 

 the Cuckoos' nests which I have found, before the set was complete, if the bird 

 was at the nest, and one generally is, the next visit would always find the nest 

 deserted and one or more of the eggs gone; at least such has been my frequent 

 experience." On the data sheet of a set of three eggs of this species in the 

 Ralph collection, taken on May 29, 1879, by Mr. W. W. Worthington, on 

 Shelter Island, Suffolk County, New York, I find the foUowing entry in the 

 collector's handwriting: "On visiting this nest first it contained two eggs; the 

 following day it was empty. I then left it one day, and on the next visit it 

 contained three eggs. I have carefully examined these eggs, and they certainly 

 look as if they had all been laid by the same bird." I had a somewhat similar 

 experience with the only nest of this species I found near Fort Custer, 

 Montana, on June 22, 1885. This was placed in a bull or buffalo berry bush 

 (^ShepJierdia argentea) close to the banks of the Little Horn River, about 4 feet 

 from the ground. I noticed the bird slipping off as I approached, and on 

 looking into the bush and separating the branches I found the nest and saw 

 that it contained only a single egg, which appeared to be very peculiarly 

 marked. I did not touch this, and left the vicinity at once. On revisiting the 

 place again on the 24th, I found the nest empty and no trace of the egg on the 

 ground below the nest. I was much provoked at not having taken the egg 

 when I first found the nest, as it was a very deeply colored one, and after 

 making a thorough search through the thickets on that side of the river, I gave 

 it up for that day, but returned again on the 25th and examined a patch of 

 wild rose bushes about 100 yards from the old site and on the opposite bank. 

 Almost as soon as I entered this thicket I saw a Cuckoo flying up into a willow 

 sapling and acting in a very excited manner; a few minutes later I found 

 a nest, containing, to the best of my belief, the identical egg I had seen in the 

 first one. The second nest was evidently built in a hurry, and consisted simply 

 of a very slight platform of dry twigs, with scarcely any lining whatever. It 

 was placed 3 feet from the ground, in a dense clump of wild rose bushes, and 

 was well concealed from view. To make sure, this time I took the single egg, 

 which is the most peculiarly colored one I have yet seen of this species, and is 

 reproduced on PL 5, Fig. 3. 



Although not what might be called a very social bird at any time, 

 occasionally in some particularly suitable place a number of pairs may be found 

 nesting close together. Mr. H. W. Flint, of New Haven, Connecticut, writes 

 me: "I know of one spot in this vicinity where the Black-billed Cuckoo might 

 almost be said to breed in colonies — a sloping hillside near a traveled road. 

 Here I have found seven nests of this species within an hour, none of them 

 placed over 3 feet from the ground. I have also frequently found their nest on 



