404 CUCULID^. 



on a particular garden-wall, and that in each of those years a 

 Cuckow in-variably laid her egg in their second nest. In 1872 

 the Wagtails changed their site, and though the Cuckow was 

 several times seen in the garden, it seems she did not dis- 

 cover their nest. In 1873 they returned to the iVy, hut no 

 Cuckow's egg was laid. 



The food of this species on its arrival here seems to 

 consist of insects generally, and then the inner surface of 

 its gizzard is smooth, hut it soon begins to live almost 

 wholly on hairy caterpillars, such as appear to be eaten by 

 scarcely any other bird, and the hairs with which they are 

 clothed accumulate in its stomach, either aggregated into a 

 globular mass, or insinuated, through muscular action, into 

 its epithelium, and arranged in a regular spiral direction, 

 so as to coat it completely, whence hasty observers have 

 thought that this organ naturally has a hairy lining. The 

 microscope, however, has shewn this to be a mistake, and 

 revealed its true origin. In the stomach of the young also 

 is often found a ball of hairs, which Jenner thought must 

 have been obtained from, and swallowed while the bird was 

 in, the nest ; but the ordinary food of the nestling is of 

 course such as its foster-parents would supply to their own 

 offspring, and accordingly varies somewhat with the species 

 to which they belong. This includes not only insects of 

 almost every kind, and in every stage, which form the chief 

 part, as well as small snails, but also soft corn, vetches, the 

 tender shoots of grasses, and a few seeds — generally those 

 of a Galium. Masses of dry grass have also been found in 

 the stomach of the young, sometimes so large as apparently 

 to cause its death (Zool. s.s, p. 3314). 



Little need be added as to the well-known song of the 

 Cuckow.* The curious change which takes place in its note 

 has already been mentioned, and is the theme of a quaint 

 epigram by one of our minor poets t. The chirp of the 



* For the musical expression of its notes reference may be made to Prof. 

 Oppel's paper (Zool. Garten, 1871, pp. 33-41). 



t John Heywood {circa 1587-1598)— ' The sixth hundred of Epigrammes.' 

 No. 95 "Of vse." Hei-e it may be said that want of space forbids the Editor 



