A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE CUCKOO. 5k 
it as a “ wandering voice,” as an unsubstantial twin-sister of echo, 
a fairy-note of spring. It is, indeed, pre-eminently (as the rhyme 
expresses it) a 
“ timid bird, 
Seldom seen, though often heard.” 
Yet there are few accustomed to ramble in the woods and fields but 
must have occasionally noticed it while on the wing, either thread- 
ing its way among the trees with a wild, irregular sort of flight, or 
passing steadily along at a moderate altitude, its progress sometimes 
accelerated by a train of one or more smaller birds in close pursuit. 
Its appearance on the wing may be likened to that of a small Pigeon, 
but with a longer tail ; and those who have seen it once will not 
fail to recognise it on a second occasion. 
Its colour is uniform dark grey above, and onthe breast ; below 
whitish, streaked across with the same tint as the back. The quills 
and tail-feathers also appear barred, when extended. The irides, or 
coloured portion of the eyes, are bright yellow ; the feet pale yel- 
low. The beak, which considerably resembles that of a Thrush, is 
horn colour ; the gape wide, and interior of the mouth bright 
orange. ‘The legs are short, with long tibial feathers, as in the 
Hawks ; the toes placed two in front and two behind.« Old females 
differ not at all in plumage from the males ; but many of the latter, 
in their second dress, and the females until they are several years of 
age, are more or less barred with rufous on the sides of the neck and 
breast. The young are so different as to have been formerly consi- 
dered a distinct species, having all the upper parts dusky, mottled 
and barred with rufous, and more or less tipped with dull white. 
They vary considerably among each other when in this garb, but the 
males are always considerably more rufous. The nestling Cuckoo 
has the inside of the mouth deep orange-red, and the irides insipid, 
pale blue-grey. 
Such, in few words, are the ordinary progressive changes of the 
Cuckoo. From being mottled, it becomes on the upper parts spot- 
less grey, more or less quickly ; the females, also, more tardily than 
the males, and some individuals than others. The change is, more- 
over, effected entirely by a shedding and renewal of the feathers, 
and not by an alteration of colour in the same plumage, which 
happens in some species. The young undergo no moult while they 
remain in this country, and in confinement retain their first feathers 
till about February at the earliest ; and that they do not shed them 
sooner, when in a state of nature, is proved by the circumstance 
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