The Parting Guests. 107 



its likeness to the sparrow-hawk, probably causes it to 

 be often mistaken for that bird ; in country districts 

 there are still some who believe that the cuckoo turns 

 into a hawk in the autumn. 



Its winter home is in Africa, in the north especially, 

 though some even get as far as Natal. 



This bird, like many of the migrants, has been kept 

 in this country in confinement through the winter ; 

 but it is worthy of note that captive cuckoos are said 

 never to feed themselves, even although they may live 

 late into the spring. 



It has been confidently stated that the ' migratory 

 instinct ' was too strong to admit of this captivity : 

 that whatever care might be taken to provide food and 

 warmth for it, the hapless captive would, when the 

 usual time for departure drew near, grow restless, and 

 finally beat its life out against the bars of its prison. 

 But some migratory birds, the nightingale for example, 

 have been known to breed in captivity. 



The corncrake migrates to the extreme south of 

 Africa a long journey for a bird whose powers of 

 flight are apparently so feeble that, when flushed, it 

 seldom goes more than fifty yards without alighting. 



Although most of the tribe go away in September, 

 corncrakes are often killed in the stubble in October, 

 or even later ; and instances are recorded in which 

 they have been found in a torpid state in holes, 

 apparently hybernating, even in the month of February, 

 so lately as the year 1882. 



