GREY CUCKOO. 133 



introduced into the same cage, a large wicker one, and for some 

 time it was with much difficulty fed ; at length however it was 

 observed that the young Thrush was employed in feeding it, 

 the Cuckoo opening its mouth and sitting on the upper perch, 

 and making the Thrush hop down to fetch food up. One day 

 when it was thus expecting its food in this way, the Thrush 

 seeing a worm put into the cage could not resist the tempta- 

 tion of eating it, upon which the Cuckoo immediately descend- 

 ed from its perch, and attacking the Thrush, literally tore ono 

 of its eyes quite out, and then hopped back : the poor Thrush 

 felt itself obliged to take up some food in the lacerated state it 

 was in. The eye healed in course of time, and the Thrush 

 continued its occupation as before, till the Cuckoo was full 

 grown."" 



A case of a like nature, but referring to the Cow Bunting, a 

 small bird whose mode of propagation is similar to that of the 

 Grey Cuckoo, is related by Wilson, in his American Ornitho- 

 logy. Having taken from the nest of a Maryland Yellow- 

 throat, a young male Cow Bunting, he " placed it in the same 

 cage with a Red Bird, Loxia cardinalis, who at first, and for 

 several minutes after, examined it closely, and seemingly with 

 great curiosity. It soon became clamorous for food, and from 

 that moment the Red Bird seemed to adopt it as his own, feed- 

 ing it with all the assiduity and tenderness of the most affec- 

 tionate nurse. When he found that the Grasshopper which he 

 had brought it was too large for it to swallow, he took the in- 

 sect from it, broke it in small portions, chewed them a little 

 to soften them, and, with all the gentleness and delicacy ima- 

 ginable, put them separately into its mouth. He often spent 

 several minutes in looking at and examining it all over, and in 

 picking off any particles of dirt that he observed on its plum- 

 age." But this assumption of the office of a nurse has been 

 manifested by many birds of the orders Cantatores, Deglubi- 

 tores, and Yagatores, with regard to helpless individuals, not 

 only of their own but of other species ; insomuch that it would 

 seem to result from the excitement of the parental instinct ef- 

 fected by the solicitations of the destitute orphan. 



Young. — The young Cuckoo when Hedged may be described 



