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THE MANGROVE CUCKOO. 



t^Coccyzus Seniculus, Lath. 

 PLATE CCLXXVIL— Male. 



A few days after my arrival at Key West in the Floridas, early in the 

 month of May, Major Glassel of the United States Army presented me 

 with a specimen of this bird, which had been killed by one of the soldiers 

 belonging to the garrison. I had already observed many Cuckoos in the 

 course of my walks through the tangled woods of that curious island; but as 

 they seemed to be our Common Yellow-billed species, I passed them without 

 paying much attention to them. The moment this specimen was presented 

 to me, however, I knew that it was a species unknown to me, and thought, 

 as I have on many occasions had reason to do, how vigilant the student of 

 nature ought to be, when placed in a country previously unvisited by him. 

 The bird was immediately drawn, and I afterwards shot several others, all 

 precisely corresponding with it. 



The habits of the Mangrove Cuckoo I found to be much the same as those 

 of our two other well known species. Like them, it is fond of sucking the 

 eggs of all kinds of birds in the absence of their owners, and also feeds on 

 fruits and various species of insects. It is, however, more vigilant and shy, 

 and does not extend its migrations northward beyond the eastern capes of 

 the Floridas; appearing, indeed, to confine itself mostly to the islets covered 

 with mangroves, among the sombre foliage of which trees it usually builds 

 its nest and rears its young. It retires southward in the beginning of 

 September, according to the accounts of it which I received in the country. 



The nest is slightly constructed of dry twigs, and is almost flat, nearly 

 resembling that of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, which I have already described. 

 The eggs are of the same number and form as those of that species, but 

 somewhat larger. It raises two broods in the season, and feeds its young on 

 insects until they are able to go abroad. 



The White-headed Pigeon is frequently robbed of its eggs by this 

 plunderer, and it is alleged by the fishermen and wreckers that it destroys 

 the squabs when yet very young, but I saw no instance of this barbarous 

 propensity. One which had been caught in its nest, and which I saw placed 

 in a cage, refused all kinds of food, and soon died. This, however, proved 

 to me the great affection which they have towards their eggs. Their flight 



