CUCKOO 421 



known bird is more remarkable on account of its abnormal breeding- 

 habits or from its striking resemblance in general appearance to a 

 hawk — a resemblance which even extends to the replacement of an 

 immature brown or chestnut plumage barred with dusky by an adult 

 one in which the general tone above is ashy grey. That the hawk- 

 like appearance of the adult cuckoo is an instance of true " mimicry " 

 can scarcely be doubted ; and it has been suggested, as noticed later, 

 that this feature may be of advantage in instilling a wholesome fear 

 of the intruder into the birds whose nests are adopted as nurseries. 

 Even, however, if this be the case, it leaves unexplained the no less 

 striking resemblage of the plumage of a young cuckoo to that of an 

 immature hawk. 



From all the birds hitherto noticed the cuckoo differs in having 

 both the outer and the inner toes permanently turned backwards, so 

 as to form a foot admirabl)- adapted for grasping. This feature, 

 coupled with the general hawk-like appearance and the long, broad, 

 and rounded tail, will suffice to distinguish the cuckoo, which forms 

 the type of the family Cuculida;, from all other indigenous native 

 birds. The two sexes differ but little in colouring and apparently not 

 at all in size ; the total length of the adult being about 13 inches. In 

 the fully adult dress the colour of the upper-parts and the fore portion 

 of the breast is ashy grey, the tail being of a somewhat darker shade, 

 with small white spots ; the lower part of the breast is white with 

 broad dusky barrings ; and the eyes and feet are bright yellow. In 

 young birds, on the other hand, the upper surface is generally oli^■e- 

 brown with dusky barrings and a white spot on the nape of the neck, 

 while the eyes are brown in place of yellow ; there is, however, a 

 rufous phase in which the ground-colour of the upper-parts is rich 

 chestnut. The nestlings remain naked until they grow their feathers. 



Needless to state, the cuckoo is only a summer-visitor to the 

 British Isles, where it breeds ; and whether we regard its breeding-area 

 or its southern winter-resorts as its true home, must, as in similar cases, 

 be to a great extent a matter of opinion. The bird at one season 

 or another ranges over the greater part of the Old World, inclusive of 

 Australia, and is common in India from July to April. 



Much has been written about the breeding-habits of the cuckoo 

 and the rearing of the young by foster-parents whose own offspring 

 have been sacrificed by the intruder ; and the whole stor}', of which 

 the following is a brief epitome, reads like a romance, and is one of 

 the greatest marvels of bird-life. As already stated, the cuckoo is a 

 migratory species, wintering in the more southern countries of the 



