156 



return either to the eggs or to feed young when I was pre- 

 pared for picture-making. Some day I expect to find one 

 whose home ties are stronger. They do, however, have a 

 degree of affection for one another as the following will 

 show^ : 



Fig. 133. YELLOW-BILL'S— JUST HATCHING. 



Cuckoos are very fond of tent caterpillars, in fact they 

 eat more of these hairy creatures than all the rest of the 

 birds together. One day I saw a Black-bill Cuckoo sitting 

 beside a large caterpillar nest. He would utter a few notes 

 and then eat a few caterpillars. Evidently he intended to 

 stay by his find until they were all gone. After a w^hile he 

 took one in his bill and flew into a thicket a short distance 

 away. In a few moments he was back again and after 

 regaling himself for awhile^ off he went with another mouth- 



