62 THE WEST VIRGINIA 
73. SNOWY OWL. 
Nyctea nycteéa (Linn.). 
Winter visitant; rare. Dr. Mathers informs me that Snowy 
Owls are occasionally seen during severe winters. 
74. YVELEOW —-SBlebeD CuckKk@Oe: 
Coecyzus americanus (Linn.). 
Summer resident; common. Both this and the following 
species are called?Rain Crow. They frequent the same locali- 
ties, although I found the Yellow-billed ranging higher up the 
mountains than the Black-billed. Both are beneficial as insect 
destroyers. Stomachs of specimens secured contained grass- 
hoppers, crickets, and daddy-long-legs. 
TADS BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO. 
Coceyzus erythrophthalmus (4Wils.). 
Summer resident; common. Frequents the orchards and 
shade trees of the towns, in company with the Yellow-billed. 
76. BELTED KINGFISHER. 
Ceryle aleyon (Linn.). 
Summer resident; abundant along all streams and ponds 
throughout the portions of country visited. It feeds mainly 
upon fish of different kinds. 
UV HATER Y Vi@O@ DPE CKSEE 
Dryobates villosus (Linn.). 
Resident; rather common along the river bottoms and in 
the mountain, districts, but not confined to any particular lo- 
cality. It was not as common in the cultivated districts as the 
Downy Woodpecker. It would be very difficult indeed to 
find a more beneficial class of birds than the Woodpeckers, and 
they should be universally respected and protected. In the 
agricultural districts they benefit the trees amotig which they 
live, as they are always busily engaged in removing the larve 
of the various boring insects which infest the bark and wood. 
Stomachs of specimens secured contained traces of /Zymenop- 
tera, beetles, larve of moths, blackberries, corn, and traces of 
decayed wood, 
