it is slightly curved), wings without reddish
brown, and small, inconspicuous white tips to the
tail-feathers distinguish this species from the
preceding.

_Range._ A more northern species than the
Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Nests from Virginia (Georgia
in the mountains) to Quebec; winters in tropical
America, reaching the southern States in April.

Washington, rather rare S.R., May 5-Oct. 6.
Ossining, common S.R., May 3-Oct. 7. Cambridge,
common S.R., May 12-Sept. 20. N. Ohio, tolerably
common S.R., May 1-Sept. 25. Glen Ellyn, S.R., May
5-Oct. 21. SE. Minn., common S.R., May 8-Sept. 27.

The day after penning the foregoing notes on the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, I
saw a Black-bill make a prolonged, dashing flight through the open,
alight on the limb of a dead, leafless tree, directly over a young girl
who was calling loudly to an active dog near her, and from this
conspicuous perch utter its low _coo-coo_ notes, both looking and
sounding more like a Dove than a conventional Cuckoo. So while we may
say that the Cuckoos are much alike in habits one must not accept
generalized statements too literally. There is much individuality among
birds, a fact that makes their study far more interesting than if all
were cast in the same mold.

The notes of this species are softer than those of the Yellow-bill, but
the difference between the calls of the two species must be learned from
the birds, not from books. The nest of the Black-bill is the more
compactly built of the two, and its eggs are of a deeper shade.

KINGFISHERS. FAMILY ALCEDINIDAE

BELTED KINGFISHER

_Ceryle alcyon. Case 3, Fig. 18; Case 5, Fig. 10_

The female resembles the male, but the sides and
the band across the breast are reddish brown. This
is our only Kingfisher. Crest, color, size,
habits, all distinguish him. L. 13.

_Range._ North America; winters from Illinois and
Virginia, southward; migrates north in early
April.

Washington, common P.R., except in midwinter.
Ossining, common S.R., Apl. 1-Nov. 23; casual in
winter. Cambridge, common S.R., Apl. 10-Nov. 1;
rare W.V. N. Ohio, common S.R., Mch. 20-Nov. 1;
rare W.V. Glenn Ellyn, isolated pairs, Apl. 1-Nov.
19. SE. Minn., common S.R., Mch. 21-D