THE BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO. 
301 
nor myself in any part of Georgia, although Wilson, who first distinguished 
this species, says that Mr. Abbot of Georgia found it there, and was well 
aware of its being distinct from the yellow-billed species. I met with it in 
Texas, arriving from the south ; and found some individuals in winter, in 
the central parts of the southern districts of Florida. On the other hand it 
i's not uncommon in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, and we saw a few in 
Labrador, amid the clumps of low trees a few miles from the shore of the 
Gulf in secluded and pleasant valleys. It does not appear that it reaches the 
Fur Countries, or the Rocky Mountains, _ as no mention is made of it by Dr. 
Richardson or Mr. Townsend. 
It being so scarce a species in Louisiana, I have honoured it by placing a 
pair on a branch of magnolia in bloom, although the birds represented were 
not shot on one of these trees, but in a swamp near some, where the birds 
were in pursuit of such flies as you see figured, probably to amuse themselves. 
Black-billed Cuckoo, Cuculus erythrophthalmus, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. iv. p. 15. 
Coccyzus erythrophthalmus, Bonap. Syn., p. 42. 
St. Domingo Cuckoo, Coccyzus dominions, Nutt. Man., vol. i. p. 556. 
Black-billed Cuckoo, Coccyzus erythrophthalmus, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. i. p. 170; 
vol. v. p. 523. 
Male, 11-J, 15. 
From Texas to Nova Scotia, and in the interior to Kentucky. Rather 
common. Migratory 
Adult Male. 
Bill as long as the head, compressed, slightly arched, acute, not more 
robust than that of many Sylvias ; upper mandible carinated above, its 
margins acute and entire ; lower mandible carinated beneath, acute. Nos- 
trils basal, lateral, linear-elliptical, half-closed by a membrane. Head and 
neck of ordinary size. Body rather slender. Feet short and small ; tarsus 
scutellate before and behind ; toes two before, separated ; two behind, one 
of which is versatile ; the sole flat ; claws slender, compressed, arched. 
Plumage blended, soft, slightly glossed. Wings long, the first quill short, 
the third longest. Tail long, graduated, of ten feathers, which are rather 
narrow and rounded. 
Upper mandible brownish-black ; lower bluish. Iris hazel. A bare space 
of a deep scarlet tint around the eye. Feet dull blue. The general colour 
of the upper parts is light greenish-brown. Cheeks and forehead tinged 
with greyish-blue. Tail-feathers, excepting the two middle ones, tipped with 
white. Under parts brownish- white. 
Length lls inches, extent of wings 15 ; beak along the ridge f , along the 
gap li. 
