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THE MANGROVE CUCKOO. 
Coccyzus Seniculus, Lath . 
PLATE CCLXXVII. — 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 
