CUCKOO. 291 



on a fruitless errand on the ist of April, is called a " Gowk's 

 errand." Sometimes the one sent is the bearer of a missive 

 containing the following distich : 



" The first and second day of Averil 

 Hound (hunt) the Gowk another mile." 



The reply of persons too experienced to be thus deceived is : 



" April Gowks are past and gone. 

 You're a fool and I am none." 



Another rhyme anent the bird's habits, which may serve 

 as answer to queries sometimes asked in newspapers, is as 

 follows : 



" The Cuckoo is a bonny bird, 



She sings as she flies, 

 She brings us good tidings, 



And tells us no lies ; 

 She sucks little birds' eggs, 

 To make her voice clear, 

 And always sings ' Cuckoo ' 

 In the spring of the year." 



Its frequent calling is said to prognosticate rain, and 

 as its notes are less distinct before it migrates, the local saying 

 runs : " Cuckoo'll seean be gannin ; she chatters rarely." 



A saying in the Yorkshire dales, ' As scabbed as a Cuckoo," 

 is in allusion to the great amount of scurf which comes from 

 the young ; and, in conclusion, I may refer to the tales told 

 of the inhabitants of various villages, viz., Austwick, Cowling- 

 in-Craven, Marsden near Huddersfield, Stanbury near Heworth, 

 Slaithwaite, and others, who are the laughing stock of their 

 neighbours because they attempted to " wall in the Cuckoo," 

 under the supposition that, if they could keep it, they would 

 be favoured with spring and summer weather all the year 

 round. 



This species is not subject to great variation in plumage, 

 though Marmaduke Tunstall recorded one " with much white 

 about the head and neck " (Tunst. MS. 1784, p. 59). In July 

 1903 I repeatedly saw one, with a considerable amount of 

 white on the head, which visited a garden in Redcar, and 

 came within a few feet of the onlookers. A specimen with 



