652 
A YEAR WITH THE BIRDS 
To my wife I quite defer, 
I am most polite to her, 
Bowing while I say, “kee-cher.” 
Eggs we number five to nine, 
Pearly white with finish fine. 
On our nest we sit by turns, 
So each one a living earns ; 
Though I think I sit the better, 
When she wishes to, I let ’er ! 
Flicker. 
— Garrett Newkirk in Bird-Lore . 
ORDER COCCYGES: CUCKOOS, KINGFISHERS, 
ETC. 
Family Cuculidae: Cuckoos 
\ ellow-billed Cuckoo i Coccysus americanus. S. R. 
Length: n-12 inches. 
Male and Female: Powerful beak, about as long as head; lower man- 
dible yellow; above olive with gray and metallic tints; two 
middle tail feathers olive; outer quills black, with white spots ; 
wings washed with bright cinnamon; under parts grayish white. 
Note : Kuk-kuk-kuk ! ” a harsh, grating sound. 
Season: Late April to September. 
Breeds: From Florida to New Brunswick. 
Nest: Rudimentary; only a few sticks laid in a bush or on a forked' 
bough. 
Eggs: 4-8, pale green, sometimes little more than a greenish white. 
This is the long, slender bird of graceful flight that does 
such good work in freeing our orchard of the sling nests of the 
tent worm. 
Black-billed Cuckoo: Coccysus erythrophthalmus. S. R. 
Rain Crow 
Plate X Fig. 2 
Length: 11-12 inches. 
Male and Female: Black bill; eyelids red. Above, general coloring 
same as last species. White spots on tail, small and inconspic- 
uous. 
Note: “ Kow-kow-kow ! kuk-kuk ! ” 
Season: May to late September. 
Breeds: Through North American range. 
Nest: In a bush; a few sticks, with no edge to confine the eggs. 
Eggs: Hardly distinguishable from the last species. 
