THE BIRDS OF DEVONSHIRE. 65 



Family Cuculid.e. 

 CUCKOO. — Cucidus canorus, Linn. 



A NUMEROUS summer visitant, of general distribution, 

 arriving in April, leaving in August and September. 

 Mr. Mitchell writes : "I once found in N. Devon a 

 Pied Wagtail's nest with some Wagtail's eggs in it, 

 but tinder these eggs, and under the lining of the nest 

 as loell, I found two Cuckoo's eggs. The eggs must 

 have been laid before the nest was finished, and the 

 Wagtails must have built over the Cuckoo's eggs. 

 The Cuckoo generally laj^s in the nests of the 

 Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit and Hedge Sparrow." 

 Reference has already been made to eggs of this 

 species deposited in the nests of the Grey 

 Wagtail and Swallow ; another nest often favoured 

 in a similar way is tha.t of the Redbreast. This 

 bird feeds largely upon the caterpillars of the Fox- 

 moth and other common insects during its stay 

 with us, " The peasantry of Devon and Cornwall," 

 writes Mr. Laskey, " as far as I have had connection 

 with them, believe the Cuckoo feeds on the eggs of 

 other birds ; and that the little bird, as they call it, 

 accompanying them (the lynx torquilla or summer 

 bird), searches for them for that purpose, and feeds 

 him" (Gentleman's Magazine, 1796, p. 116). 



