1 84 OUR IRISH SONG BIRDS. 



their rightful home the young of the bird in whose nest 

 it has been hatched. He says : 



" I discovered the young Cuckoo, though so nearly 

 hatched, in the act of turning out the Hedge Sparrow. 

 The little animal contrived to get the bird upon its back, 

 and, making a lodgment for its burden by elevating its 

 elbows, clambered backwards with it up the side of the 

 nest till it reached the top, where, resting for a moment, 

 it threw off its load with a jerk, and quite disengaged it 

 from the nest. It remained in this situation for a short 

 time, feeling about with the extremities of its wings, as if 

 to be convinced whether the business was properly 

 executed, and then dropped into the nest again." 



More than one observer has noted a fact which seems 

 to bear upon this strange instinct in the young Cuckoo 

 that the bird, when touched unexpectedly, throws itself 

 backward with considerable force. Mr. Gould was for a 

 time, however, sceptical as to this wonderful perform- 

 ance ; he has, however, had reason to change his opinion, 

 and he has now given the weight of his great authority 

 to the belief that the young Cuckoo makes short work 

 of other young birds hatched out in the same nest. 



The food of the Cuckoo consists mainly of insects ; 

 it is a climbing bird, but it explores trees in a horizontal 

 or slanting direction ; it does not ascend perpendicularly 

 like the Creeper, nor does it use its bill for making holes 

 in trees, like the Woodpecker, but seems to be " a half 

 perching and half climbing bird." It is also a most 

 voracious eater; and it is only by constant and almost 

 painful assiduity that when young its wants can be sup- 

 plied by its foster-parents. Their devotion is indeed 

 extraordinary. Mr. Weir tells us that on one occasion 



