CUCKOO. 179 



The note of this bird sounds like "hoop, hoop, hoop;" 

 and as the bird utters this cry, it strikes with its bill on 

 the ground to produce it, puffing out its neck at the 

 same time ; hence it has been said to be the only bird 

 producing both vocal and instrumental music. 



The City of Cork Steam Packet Company names its 

 steamers after birds, and has gone through the alphabet 

 in a very creditable manner. The letter " U," how- 

 ever, presented considerable difficulties, which were 

 surmounted by naming a vessel " Upupa," the Latin 

 name of the Hoopoe. This sturdy bird of the ocean, 

 launched in 1871, still plies between Cork and Cardiff. 



CUCKOO. 



Cuculus canorus ; Coucou gris ; Gemeiner Kuck Kuk ; 

 Gauch ; Koekoek (Dutch). 



Bill, black ; legs and toes, yellow ; head, crown, neck, 

 and back, bluish ash-colour ; chin, throat, and breast, 

 paler ; under-parts, whitish, barred with greyish-black ; 

 vent, also whitish ; tail, bluish-black, with white spots. 

 The plumage of the female is brown rather than grey ; 

 adult females, however, differ but little from the males. 

 Length, about fourteen inches. 



It may at first sight be thought strange to include the 

 Cuckoo amongst our birds of song. The fact, however, 

 that its well-known cry is uttered by the male bird only, 

 and by him only in the breeding season, may be accepted 

 as a proof that it is really a song, and that the singer 

 deserves a place in our list of song birds. 



