THE CUCKOO, 



249 



forth. The Cuckoo utters his notes as he flies, but only, 

 as a rule, as far as I can determine, when a few yards 

 from the place on which he intends alighting. Besides 

 the above-mentioned notes the Cuckoo is often heard 

 uttering a chattering cry, not unlike that of the Kestrel, 

 but more guttural. This cry is probably their call or 

 alarm note, as the birds invariably utter it when suddenly 

 alarmed. I have never yet heard a female Cuckoo 

 uttering the note ' cuckoo,' and I consider the song is 

 confined to the male alone ; for that it is a song is 

 evident by the bird losing it in the summer months, like 

 most other species. I often hear Cuckoos singing long 

 before sunrise, and equally late in the evening, even 

 when the moon has commenced shedding her borrowed 

 light over wood and meadow. 



The Cuckoo, like the god Amphion, at the sound of 

 whose lute the stones arranged themselves in such regu- 

 lar order as to compose the city walls of Thebes, seems 

 to have a wonderful influence over the feathered tribe 

 w^hen giving forth his notes. I on one occasion noticed 

 a male Cuckoo alight in a tall oak tree and commence 

 giving forth his notes. He had not been there long 

 before several Starlings which had been feeding in a 

 neighbouring field flew into the same tree. Soon after 

 several Greenfinches paid him a visit ; and lastly a little 

 Willow Warbler flew over the field at some distance from 

 the tree which contained the Cuckoo, which commenced 

 calling loudly, when the Willow Warbler altered its course 

 and flew back again some distance into the tree. I 

 could bring more instances of birds which in my opinion 

 were attracted by his notes, but why, and for what pur- 

 pose, I am unable to say. 



I am not a convert to the belief that Cuckoos are 

 polygamous. Many support their belief by giving in- 



