SOME CUCKOO CRIES 95 



of all, can hardly be doubted, but this does not 

 appear to be of an ardent character, and perhaps 

 social enjoyment, independent of sex, may enter 

 almost as largely. After all, however, the same 

 may be said of the sportings of peewits and other 

 birds, when the breeding-time is only beginning, so 

 that, perhaps, there is not really any very distinctive 

 feature. Be it as it may, this sporting of cuckoos 

 is a very pretty and graceful thing to see. Be- 

 ginning, as I have said, in the latter part of the 

 afternoon, it is at its height between 6 and 7 o'clock, 

 then gradually wanes, but lasts, as far as odd pairs 

 of birds are concerned, for another hour or more. 

 As may be imagined, it does not proceed in silence ; 

 but what is curious — yet very noticeable — is that 

 the familiar cuckoo is not so often heard. Far 

 more frequent is a noisy "cack-a-cack, cack-a-cack," 

 a still louder *' cack, cack, cack" — a very loud note 

 indeed — the loud, single " cook '* disjoined from its 

 softening syllable, and the curious " whush, whush" 

 or "whush, whush, whush-a-whoo-whoo." The last 

 is very common, seems to express everything, but is 

 uttered, I think, oftenest when the bird is excited. 

 Again, instead of *' cuckoo," one sometimes hears 

 " cuc-kew-oop," the last syllable being divided, 

 with a sort of gulp in the throat, making it a three- 

 syllabled cry. This difference is very marked, and, 

 moreover, the intonation is different, being much 

 more musical. All these notes, and others less easy 

 to transcribe, are uttered by the bird, either flying 

 or sitting. Another one, different from all, and 

 very peculiar, is generally heard under the latter 

 condition, but by no means invariably so. It is 



