CUCKOO. 291 



on a fruitless errand on the ist of April, is called a " Gowk's 

 errand." Sometimes the one sent is the bearer of a missive 

 containing the following distich : — 



" The first and second day of Averil 

 Hound (hunt) the Gowk another mile." 



The reply of persons too experienced to be thus deceived is : 



" April Gowks are past and gone, 

 You're a fool and I am none." 



Another rhyme anent the bird's habits, which may serve 

 as answer to queries sometimes asked in newspapers, is as 

 follows : — 



" The Cuckoo is a bonny bird, 



She sings as she flies, 

 She brings us good tidings, 



And tells us no lies ; 

 She sucks little birds' eggs. 

 To make her voice clear. 

 And always sings ' Cuckoo ' 

 In the spring of the year." 



Its frequent calling is said to prognosticate rain, and 

 as its notes are less distinct before it migrates, the local saying 

 runs : " Cuckoo'll seean be gannin ; she chatters rarely." 



A saying in the Yorkshire dales, ' As scabbed as a Cuckoo," 

 is in allusion to the great amount of scurf which comes from 

 the young ; and, in conclusion, I may refer to the tales told 

 of the inhabitants of various villages, viz., Austwick, Cowling- 

 in-Craven, Marsden near Huddersfield, Stanbury near Heworth, 

 Slaithwaite, and others, v/ho are the laughing stock of their 

 neighbours because they attempted to " wall in the Cuckoo," 

 imder the supposition that, if they could keep it, they v/ould 

 be favoured with spring and summer weather all the year 

 round. 



This species is not subject to great variation in plumage, 

 though Marmaduke Tunstall recorded one " with much white 

 about the head and neck " (Tunst. MS. 1784, p. 59). In July 

 1903 I repeatedly saw one, with a considerable amount of 

 white on the head, which visited a garden in Redcar, and 

 came within a few feet of the onlookers. A specimen with 



