"Chaparral Cock", "Ground
Cuckoo," "Snake-killer," etc. Its upper parts are a glossy greenish
brown, each feather being edged or fringed with whitish; the tail is
very long, broad and graduated, the feathers being broadly tipped with
white. They are noted for their swiftness on foot, paddling over the
ground at an astonishing rate, aided by their outstretched wings and
spread tail, which act as aeroplanes; their legs are long and have two
toes front and two back. Their food consists of lizards and small
snakes, they being particularly savage in their attacks upon the latter.
They build rude nests of sticks and twigs, in low trees or bushes, and
during April or May, lay from four to ten eggs, depositing them at
intervals of several days. They are pure white and measure 1.55 x 1.20.

[Illustration 245: Greenish blue.]
[Illustration: Road Runner. Groove-billed Ani.]
[Illustration: White.]
[Illustration: deco.]
[Illustration: right hand margin.]

Page 244

386. MANGROVE CUCKOO. _Coccyzus minor minor._

Range.--West Indies, Mexico and South America, north regularly to
southern Florida.

This species is very similar to our common Yellow-billed Cuckoo, but the
whole underparts are deep buff. It is a common species and nests
abundantly in the West Indies, but occurs only in limited numbers in
southern Florida. Their nests are shallow platforms of twigs and
rootlets, placed in bushes and low trees, and upon which they lay three
or four pale greenish blue eggs, similar to those of the Yellow-billed
species but averaging smaller; size 1.15 x .85.

386a. MAYNARD'S CUCKOO. _Coccyzus minor maynardi._

Range.--Bahamas; accidental on Florida Keys. This is a slightly smaller
and paler form than the preceding.

387. YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. _Coccyzus americanus americanus._

Range.--United States east of the Plains and from southern Canada
southward.

This species is generally abundant in all localities in its range, which
afford suitable nesting places of tangled underbrush or vines. It may be
distinguished from the Black-billed variety by its larger size (12
inches long), blackish tail with broad white tips, and yellowish lower
mandible. They are often regarded by the superstitious as forecasters of
rain, and as omens, probably because of their gutteral croaking notes.

Their nests are made of twigs, lined with shreds of grape vine bark or
catkins; the nests are generally very shabbily made and so flat on the
top that