THE YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. 295 



to appropriate certain tracts to themselves, where they rear their young in the 

 midst of peace and plenty. They feed on insects, such as caterpillars and 

 butterflies, as well as on berries of many kinds, evincing a special predilection 

 for the mulberry. In autumn they eat many grapes, and I have seen them 

 supporting themselves by a momentary motion of their wings opposite a 

 bunch, as if selecting the ripest, when they would seize it and return to a 

 branch, repeating their visits in this manner until satiated. They now and 

 then descend to the ground, to pick up a wood-snail or a beetle. They are 

 extremely awkward at walking, and move in an ambling manner, or leap 

 along sidewise, for which the shortness of their legs is ample excuse. They 

 are seldom seen perched conspicuously on a twig, but on the contrary are 

 generally to be found amongst the thickest boughs and foliage, where they 

 emit their notes until late in autumn, at which time they discontinue them. 



The nest is simple, flat, composed of a few dry sticks and grass, formed 

 much like that of the Common Dove, and, like it, fastened to an horizontal 

 branch, often within the reach of man, who seldom disturbs it. It makes 

 no particular selection as to situation or the nature of the tree, but settles 

 any where indiscriminately. The eggs are four or five, of a rather elongated 

 oval form, and bright green colour. They rear only one brood in a season, 

 unless the eggs are removed or destroyed. The young are principally fed 

 with insects during the first weeks. Towards autumn they become very fat, 

 and are fit for being eaten, although few persons, excepting the Creoles of 

 Louisiana, shoot them for the table. 



Whilst at Charleston in South Carolina, in the early part of June, 1837, I 

 was invited by James Smith Rhett, Esq., residing in the suburbs of that 

 city, to visit his grounds for the purpose of viewing the nest of this bird. 

 This I did in company with my friend Dr. Samuel Wilson, and we found 

 ourselves highly gratified, as we were enabled to make the following obser- 

 vations: — 



A nest, which was placed near the centre of a tree of moderate size, was 

 reached by a son of the gentleman on whose ground we were. One of the 

 old birds, which was sitting upon it, left its situation only when within a 

 few inches of the climber's hand, and silently glided off to another tree close 

 by. Two young Cuckoos nearly able to fly scrambled off from their tene- 

 ment among the branches of the tree, and were caught by us after awhile. 

 The nest was taken, and carefully handed to me. It still contained three 

 young Cuckoos, all of different sizes, the smallest apparently just hatched, 

 the next in size probably several days old, while the largest, covered with 

 pin-feathers, would have been able to leave the nest in about a week. There 

 were also in the nest two eggs, one containing a chick, the other fresh or 

 lately laid. The two young birds which escaped from the nest, clung so 



