CUCULIBJE CnOTOPHAGmJE: ANIS. 
471 
146. 
Fig. 322. — European Cuckoo, Cuculus canorus. (From Dixon.) 
forms showing peculiar minor modifications ; these correspond in great measure with certain 
geographical areas of faunal distribution, and are generally held to constitute subfamilies. 
Three or four such are con- 
fined to America; about twice 
as many belong exclusively to 
the Old World; among them 
are the CueuUnce, or typical 
cuckoos allied to the European 
C. canorus (fig. 322), ftimous, 
like our Cowbird, for their 
parasitism. This section com- 
prehends the great majority of 
the Old World species; the 
Couince are a peculiar Mada- 
gascan type ; others rest upon 
a special condition of the 
claws or plumage. There are 
about 200 current species of 
the family. Many of them, 
besides the one just cited in 
instance, lay their eggs in 
other birds' nests. The Amer- 
ican cuckoos have been de- 
clared free of suspicion of such 
domestic irregularities ; but, though pretty well-behaved, their record is not quite clean : they 
do sometimes slip into the wrong nest. The curious infelicity seems to be connected in some 
way with the mability of the ? to complete her clutch of eggs with the rapidity and regularity 
usual among birds, and so incubate them in one batch. The nests of our species of Coccygus 
commonly contam young by the time the last egg of the lot is laid. 
We have three very distinct genera, usually referred to as many subfamilies. 
Analysis of Sicbfamilies and Genera. 
Crotophagik^. Terrestrial. Tail of 8 feathers. Bill compressed, crested. Plumage lustrous black 
TailoflOfeathers. Feet ambulatorial, with long tarsi . . ""To^tcZ IS 
COCCGIN^. Arboreal. Tail of 10 feathers. Feet insessorial. with short tarsi . . . . . Zcygus M8 
36. Subfamily CROTOPHACIN/E : Anis. 
nre. Jf .b^ feathers graduated, longer than the rounded wings. Bill exceedingly corn- 
Ed Pr^"'' . 'T'^ " thin vertical crest, the sides usually sulcata, ^he tip 
itcTl ; ^ TT " 1 '''' lengthened 
T^^^^^^ Terrestrial. Nest in bushes. One 
genus, of three species, of the warmer parts of America. 
T^J?}Zft^\.^^'\"r'^"' ^ ^"^^ '''^''SO Anis. In addition 
to he characters of the subfamily : Bill about as long as head, with regularly convex or angu- 
lated culmen, its sides smooth, wrinkled, or sulcate ; tip of upper mandible decurved over end 
ot lower ; gonys straight. Wings rounded ; 4th or 5th primary longest, 1st quite short. Tail- 
eatners broad, widening to very obtuse ends. Tarsus longer than middle toe, anteriorly 
broadly scutellate, the sides with large plates meeting in a ridge behind. According to the 
concurrent testimony of various independent observers, the cuculine irregularity of nesting is 
expressed m a very curious manner, in the case of C. ani at least ; several birds forming a 
