Late Nesting of the Black-billed 
Cuckoo. 
BY S. W. DENTON. 
I have to record the finding of a nest of the 
the above species by myself on the 21st of 
August of the present year. 
The nest contained three eggs slightly incu- 
bated and was composed of the following ma- 
terials : A layer or platform of twigs on which 
were a few oak leaves with a thin and sparse 
lining of pine needles. Nest very shallow and 
placed in an oak bush about seven feet from 
the ground near a path on the sunny but wood- 
ed side of a hill. 
Was this a second laying this season? If not, 
then the birds, as near as I can figure it, were 
over two months behind time in their house- 
keeping duties and should have been preparing 
to leave for the South rather than imposing 
upon themselves the burden of a family at that 
time of year. Q & O. XII. Dec. 1887 p. S.CJT. 
Notes from Taftsville, Vt. 
part of the eggs was of a gras 
and if my memory serves me 
obtained and blew last year was 
I would like to ask the readei 
if they have ever noticed a sii 
if they who are posted can ii 
contents of the Black-billed 
always grass green, whether in 
and can the eggs of this specie 
tinguished by this character . 
parent bird might not have be 
outwardly appearance of the) 
thing but normal? For if 
then this point should be 
for it becomes a most impi 
least in the identification of 
Cuckoo’s eggs. She 
Wellesley, Mass., June 4, 1889. 
While out collecting, Aug. 6th, I found' 
a nest of the Black-billed Cucko o, which 
contained three young and three eggs. 
One of the eggs proved to be nearly incu- 
bated, one about half and the other fresh. 
One week later I visited the place ag - ain.'\ 
Upon my approaching the nest the young f 
left it, but Mrs. Cuckoo had deposited v 
another fresh egg, which was slightly 
tened on one side — it was the largest one ^ O 
of the clutch, its shorter diameter being. • 
.89 and .88x1.27 in length; the other \ O 
three measuring .86x1.19, .86x1.12, .86 X 
1.11. The largest egg of this species 
which I have taken before measured .84 X 
1.11. I “ - ' ‘ = 
warblers than cuckoos. About fifty feet from 
the location of the former nest, I found another 
of the same species. It was much more loosely 
formed than the previous one, and it was placed 
higher on a wild grape-vine, or rather, where sev- 
eral of these vines intersected each other at a dis- 
tance of about nine feet from the ground. The 
the rd was more wary than the former one, and 
3w from her home while I was yet five yards 
iStant, hut not until I had positively identified 
|r as the Black-billed species. This nest con- 
fined six eggs, which, as I found upon preparing 
tern later, were in all stages of incubation. Two 
■ere on the point of being hatched, two others 
'ere partly incubated, and the remaining two 
•ere nearly fresh. As the number seemed to me 
) be excessive, I sought all the information I 
A Peculiar Nesting Si 
zus Erythroptht 
Some Interesting Facts About 
Nesting of the Cuckoo. 
11 Y UARRY O. PARKER, CHESTER, PA. 
Imagine a rank and luxuriant undergrowth 
where the grape, ivy and other climbing vines 
throw out their arms to form a bower, situated in 
an interesting valley formed by two gently slop- 
ing lulls rising on either side, and through this 
damp little glen a small stream pursues its wind 
mg way. In such a place, remote from liuma p! 1 '’ Up0n the sub i ect from the works, of various 
habitation I was collecting on June 5th, ofTie 
past year, making my way on hands and and 
knees, (for blackberry and thorny bushes 
abounded too,) listening to the songs of Yellow- 
breasted Chats, Maryland Yellow-throats and 
other warblers, and wondering how their nests 
could elude me so successfully; when casting my 
yes upward, I saw right above me a Black-billed 
Cuckoo on her nest, a critical and interested spec- 
tator of this some-time quadruped. She seemed 
enacious indeed, of her maternal rights, and only 
eft the nest when my hand was about to grasp 
hei so I was surprised to find, upon examination 
During the present seaso that she was setting so hard upon only ^ egg 
seven clutches of the above s The nest was beautiful, and unusually substantial 
been familiar with the birc nr n n 
a Cuckoo, being a platform of thorny sticks, 
boyhood, but had yet, up to ets ’ Im catld ns, blossoms, grasses and strips 
to find a nest on the groun collSnlTmuch thatTtook ^ 
the nest was placed in a . also not expecting to* 
and withm two inches of mj On June 14th, (nine days later) I happened to be 
bird was flushed, and bot a S am in this neighborhood, and again went, 
were typical. Two eggs, pa tlnon =h this same thicket, but more in quest of 
made up the clutch. I si 
hear from other collectors 
experiences in this directicj 
Nyack-on-Huds<^, 
niters, and in no case did I find a record of 
lore than “four or five.” Then I consulted a 
etter medium than any published writings, 
arnely : the personal experiences of collectors, 
loth in person, and by letter did I prosecute my 
iquiries, but none had ever found more than 
iur eggs in a Black-billed Cuckoo’s nest — two or 
bree being more generally met with. So I came 
o the conclusion that I was fortunate in my ex- 
loit, if indeed my case was not unique, and I 
et about reasoning liovv these six eggs came 
here, and if the capture of the nest of the other 
fil'd in close proximity, on June 5th was not an 
qiportant factor in the problem. I concluded 
hat the bird who was deprived of her home in 
he first instance, had either surreptitiously de- 
>osited her unlaid eggs in her neighbor’s nest, or 
hat she being hard pressed to lay, had made 
mown her complaint to the last named, who had 
ixtended her hospitality to her stricken sister, as 
iVould seem to be the case, and thus brought joy 
«nd novelty to the heart of one oologist. Both 
lie first nest and single egg, and the set of six 
iggs are now in my collection, and the writer 
irould be pleased if these lines would cause some 
p tlier collector to state his experience as to the 
complement of the Black-billed Cuckoo. 
On the same day, June 14tb, not more than 
one-quarter of a mile from the location spoken 
of I found a nest containing four eggs of the 
Yellow-billed Cuckoo, which must have been 
laid on succeeding days, as incubation was about 
equally advanced in all. The eggs of neither of 
these birds (being in no wise remarkable) need 
any description here, but I will always associate 
in my mind a certain damp, dark spot in Dela- 
ware County, Pennsylvania, with the two species 
of Cuckoo. 
75 
