A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE CUCKOO. 57 
and on looking out observed a pretty large flock, which, at sun-rise 
or soon after, all took to flight. 
“ Here, then,” continues his lordship, “ we have an instance of their 
being sociably inclined on their arrival ; and it would seem that they 
are equally so when about to leave us: for in a garden in the coun- 
ty of Down, in Ireland, from the 18th to the 22nd of July, not less 
than forty Cuckoos were observed, for the most part amongst the 
gooseberry bushes, probably collecting the grubs which often infest 
those plants, and not to eat Gooseberries, as the gardener supposed,” 
and also (I must beg leave to interpolate) myself suspect ; “and it 
was remarked that they were almost all so sleepy and drowsy as to 
permit a very near approach, though not quite so near as to admit of 
being caught by the hand. There happened to be a late brood of 
Blackbirds, not quite fledged, in a nest, which were discovered by 
the Cuckoos, who destroyed all but two; they were seen to tear 
them in pieces, the gardener actually rescuing one from their grasp, 
which had its leg and wing severed.” I should observe, in reference 
to this, that the Gullet of the Cuckoo is remarkably slender, not- 
withstanding the capacity of its gape, being insufficiently wide to 
admit the finger: it cannot, therefore, swallow a large morsel. His 
lordship continues—“ Not above three or four were heard to cry 
cuckoo, and these in a sort of hoarse, unnatural tone. The greatest 
number collected towards sunset, though many remained throughout 
the day. After the 22nd of July only one or two remained, which 
were evidently weaker than the rest,” perhaps backward in their 
moult. 
In The Magazine of Natural History a particular tree is men- 
tioned, which, in its neighbourhood, is popularly known as “ the 
Cuckoo tree,” from the circumstance of its being annually the re- 
sort, perhaps resting-place, of a flock of Cuckoos, on the occasion of 
their re-appearance in the locality. It is well known that migra- 
tory birds not only return seasonally to their former haunts, but 
also pursue, in general, the exact same route. 
The alleged ovivorous appetite of this species next claims our 
attention. That many eggs of other birds are destroyed by it I have 
positive evidence ; and I once obtained a female the breast of which 
was smeared with yolk ofegg. But this does not amount to proof of 
the fact that it eats them; and I have sought in vain for traces of 
this food in the stomach. Popular opinion intimates that the Cuckoo 
is an egg-devourer ; but the circumstance of its destroying them 
suffices to account for this. There are better grounds for suppos- 
ing so from analogy. Thus Wilson, the ornithologist of America, 
VOL. IX., NO. XXV. 8 
