GO 
The Nciv York State College of Forestry 
water, hovering perhaps over an expected victim below, and then 
making a plunge in pursuit of finny prey. 
52. Bl.ack-billed Cuckoo. Coccyzus erylhrophthalmus (Wils.) 
The Black-billed Cuckoo is one of the common birds of the Bear 
Mountain locality. On May 27 I observed a specimen of this 
cuckoo at close range, as it perched in a small tree by the roadway 
into the Inn grounds. It was swallowing a caterpillar when first 
seen, and it sat quietly during further observation. This cuckoo 
can be readily identified by the red circle around the eye, besides 
the full black bill. The calls and song notes of this cuckoo are so 
similar to those of the Yellow-billed species that only the expert 
bird student can distinguish the differences and be certain regard- 
ing the authorship of the call. 
53. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Coccyzus ctmericanus amoricanus 
(Linn.) 
This cuckoo is not nearly so common at Bear Mountain and else- 
where in the Park as the Black-billed species. The two are so 
similar in appearance that it requires experienced observation to 
distinguish one from the other. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo has 
the lower mandible of the bill yellow, whereas the bill of the other 
species is all black. The Yellow-billed species has the three outer 
tail feathers prominently marked with large white terminal spots, 
while the Black-billed species has only small-white tips on all except 
the inner pair of tail feathers. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo, besides 
the differences mentioned to distinguish it from the Black-billed 
species, shows in flight an area of wing-marking of a decided 
cinnamon tinge. 
54. American Osprey. Pandion haliaetus carolinensis (Gmel.) 
The Osprey, or Fish Hawk, is apparently not common in the 
Bear Mountain locality, and only once I observed it hawking above 
the river. In appearance it somewhat resembles a large hawk or 
a small edition of an eagle. It can readily be identified by its 
grayish brown upper parts, with head, neck and under parts white, 
no hawk or eagle having similar markings. 
