Tin', ( !( KOO. I50o 



it; but her i)l;iL'e was siipplii'd by u licdi;c-sparn)\v, who pci'lorinod ber part <lili;;-('iitly 

 and puiK'tually, b\- hrinyiiij^ i'ood at vci'v short intervals I'roiu morning till evening, till 

 its uncouth foster-child grew large, and became lull leathered, when it was sutfercd to 

 escape, and was seen no more : gone, ])erhaps, to the countiy to which he migrates, to 

 tell Ills kindred cuckoos (if he was as ungrateful as ho was ugly when I saw him in the 

 nest) what fools hedge-sparrows and water-wagtails arc in England." It may possibly 

 be suggested, that a mistake has been made witli regard to the s )rt of bird which hatelu'd 

 the cuckoo, and that the same bird which fed it, namely, the hedge-sparrow, hatched tlie 

 ess- If this had been the case, there would have been nothing extraordinary in the 

 circumstance ; but the wagtail was too often seen on her nest, botli before the egg was 

 hatched, aiul afterwards feeding the young bird, to leave room for any scepticism on that 

 point ; and the sparrow was observed feeding it in the cage afterwards by many members 

 of the family daily. 



In April tlic cuckoo sliows liia bill ; 

 In MiiY he sings both night and day ; 

 In June he altcreth his tune; 

 In ,Tuly awaj- he'll fly ; 

 In August go he must. 



This bird has long been one of the t\nourites of the poets. Thus John Logan sings 

 sweetly : — 



Hail! beauteous stranger of the grove I 



The messenger of Spring ! 

 Now Heaven repau's thy rural seat. 

 And woods t\\\ welcome sing. 



What time the daisy decks the green. 



Thy certain voice we hear ; 

 Hast thou a star to guide thy path. 



Or mark the rolling j-ear ? 



Delightful visitant! with thee 



I hail the time of flowers, 

 ^\nd hear the sound of music sweet, 



From birds among the bowers. 



The schoolboy wandering tlu'ough the \\ ood. 



To puU the primrose gay, 

 Starts — the new voice of Spring to hear, 



And imitates thy lay. 



What tune the pea puts on its bloom, 



Thou fhest thj" vocal vale ; 

 An annual guest in other lands, 



Another Spring to hail. 



Sweet bird I thy bower is ever green. 



Thy sky is ever clear ; 

 Thou hast no sorrow in thy song, 



No Winter in thj- year. 



O could I fly. I'd fly with thee! 



We'd make, with joyful wing, 

 Our annual visit o'er the globe, 



Companions of the Spring! 



2^or less charming is the address of Wordsworth to this bird; — 



U blithe new cjuier! I ha\e h'.aid 



I hear thee and rejoice ; 

 O Cuckoo! shiU I tall thee liird, 



Or but a wandering voice? 



