THE YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. 
31 
Coccyzus amencanus, Macg. Br. B. iii. p. 137 (1840); Dresser, 
B. Eiir. V. p. 227, pi. 301, fig. 2 (1876) ; Newton, ed. 
Yarr. 11. p. 414 (1881) ; B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 84 (1883); 
Seebohm, Br. B. ii. p. 390 (1884); Saunders, Man. p. 280 
(1889); Shelley, Cat. B. xix. p. 308 (1891). 
Adult Male. — Above brown, glossed with olive on the mantle; 
tail Ifiack, tipped with white, except the centre feathers, which 
are like the back ; quills externally brown and also brown at 
the ends, internally rufous ; eyebrows greyish ; ear-coverts 
rather darker brown ; cheeks and under- surface of body white ; 
under wing-coverts white, tinged with buff. Bill dark horn- 
colour, paler below the nostrils, the lower mandible for the 
most part orange-yellow ; feet leaden-grey ; iris dark brown, 
lotal length, ii inches; culmen, it; wing, 5-5; tail, 6-o ; 
tarsus, I’o. 
Adult Female — Similar to the male in colour. Total length, 
10-8 inches; wing, 5-6. ’ 
Range in Great Britain. — A purely accidental visitor. Four in- 
stances of its occurrence have been recorded : in co. Cork, in 
die autumn of 1825 ; near Dublin, in 1832 ; near Aberystwith, 
m October, 1870 ; and on Lundy Island, in October, 1874. It 
has also been obtained in Belgium, and in Italy near Turin. 
^ Range outside the British Islands. — Found principally in the 
Eastern United States, eastward to the Missouri Blains, breed- 
uig as far south as Texas, and extending on the west to Cali- 
fornia, though Mr. Ridgway considers the western bird to be 
distinct, and names it C. ocddenialis. It also occurs in the 
'Vest Indian Islands and breeds there. 
Hahits. — Very similar to those of our own Cuckoo, but differ- 
mg from that species in the habit of building its own nest, rear- 
mg Its own young, and being an affectionate parent. According 
to Vulson, it begins to pair early in May, and commences to 
uuild its nest about the loth of that month, retiring to some 
shady and retired woodland for that purpose. There seems to 
oe, even with this well-behaved parent, the same difference in 
time between the deposition of the eggs as is to be found in 
ne case of Cuadiis canorus. Audubon relates that he found 
3 - nest in which were five young Cuckoos and two eggs. Two 
