THE CUCKOO 287 



with hairs ; the bird also eats beetles, lepidopterous 

 insects, and larvse. The food of the young 

 depends very much upon the species that rears it. 

 The Cuckoo is an early bird to depart south. The 

 return migration begins in August, most of the old 

 birds apparently leaving before the young, but 

 in this, as in so much else concerning this species, 

 more definite information is sadly wanted. 



The general colour of the upper parts of the 

 adult Cuckoo is slate-grey, suffused with brown 

 on the wings, and becoming nearly black on the 

 tail ; the quills are barred with white on the inner 

 webs, and the tail feathers are tipped with white, and 

 show traces of white bars. The under parts are 

 greyish barred with dusky-brown below the breast. 

 The female closely resembles the male in colour. 

 The nestling plumage is barred with brown and 

 tipped with white above and below. The total 

 length of this bird is about fourteen inches. 



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