264 THE CUCKOO. 



either quit their winter quarters together, or, falling in with 

 each other on the journey, land in little flocks. Some years 

 ago, at dawn of day, early in the 

 spring, a gentleman living on the 

 Cheshire side of the river Mersey, 

 opposite Liverpool, was awakened "by 

 a kind of chattering noise, interrupted 

 by the cry of " Cuckoo, cuckoo," in 

 a low plantation near his house, situ- 

 ated amongst the sand hills bordering 

 the shores of the estuary, and on 

 looking out observed a pretty large 

 flock, which at sunrise, or soon after, 

 liie cuckoo. all took to flight. 



Here, then, we have an instance of their being sociably in- 

 clined on their arrival ; and it would seem that they are equally 

 so w r hen about to leave us : for in a garden in the county of 

 Down, in Ireland, from the i8th to the 22d 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 it was remarked that they were almost 

 all so sleepy and dozing, 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. They 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. Not above three 

 or four were heard to cry " Cuckoo," and then in a sort of 

 hoarse unnatural tone. The greatest number collected towards 

 sunset, though many remained throughout the day. After the 

 22d of July, only one or two remained, which were evidently 

 smaller than the rest, probably the youngest. 



Singular as is its cry,^o equally singular, and equally known 

 to all, is that strange unnatural propensity peculiar to this 

 bird, of leaving to others the care of its young. Why does the 

 Cuckoo do this ? Is it because it has no knowledge of build- 



