The Burgess Bird Book for Children 



"That's Cuckoo," said Kitty. "Do you mean 

 to say you don't know Cuckoo ?" 



"Of course I know him," retorted Peter. "I 

 had forgotten the sound of his voice, that's all." 

 Tell me, Kitty, is it true that Mrs. Cuckoo is no 

 better than Sally Sly the Cowbird and goes about 

 laying her eggs in the nests of other birds? I've 

 heard that said of her." 



"There isn't a word of truth in it," declared 

 Kitty emphatically. "She builds a nest, such as 

 it is, which isn't much, and she looks after her own 

 children. The Cuckoos have been given a bad 

 name because of some good-for-nothing cousins 

 of theirs who live across the ocean where Bully the 

 English Sparrow belongs, and who, if all reports 

 are true, really are no better than Sally Sly the 

 Cowbird. It's funny how a bad name sticks. The 

 Cuckoos have been accused of stealing the eggs of 

 us other birds, but I've never known them to do it 

 and I've lived neighbor to them for a long time. 

 I guess they get their bad name because of their 

 habit of slipping about silently and keeping out of 

 sight as much as possible, as if they were guilty 

 of doing something wrong and trying to keep from 

 being seen. As a matter of fact, they are mighty 

 useful birds. Farmer Brown ought to be tickled 

 to death that Mr. and Mrs. Cuckoo have come 

 back to the Old Orchard this year." 

 [258] 



