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CUCKOO, COMMON. 



CucuLrs CANOEUS, Lin. 



The Cuckoo arrives in this country about the 

 month of April, and the adult bird leaves about 

 the beginning of July, but the young birds of the 

 year do not leave till about September. The 

 Cuckoo is generally distributed over Great Britain 

 and the Orkneys during summer. The great pecu- 

 liarity of this bird appears to be that of depositing 

 its solitary egg, for it seldom lays more than one, 

 in the nest of some small bird, such as the Hedge 

 Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Linnet, Whitethroat, 

 Redstart, Yellow Hammer, and others, but more 

 particularly the. Hedge Sparrow. When the young 

 Cuckoo is hatched it makes an attack upon the 

 remaining eggs, if any, and offspring of its foster 

 parents, destroying the former and generally suc- 

 ceeding in turning out the latter. Its back, when 

 young, is very broad, with a depression in the 

 middle, which disappears in about a fortnight. 

 The egg is about the size of Skylark's, of a light 

 mottled reddish grey. 



CUCKOO, GREAT SPOTTED. 



CUCULTJS GLANDAKIUS, Lin. 



This species inhabits North Africa, and has been 

 found also in Germany, Italy, and Spain, but of its 

 habits very little is known. 



