VOICE AMI POOD Of TV/ A' Cl.'CKOO. I :.i 



<x>rreap<>iiileTit- i. .,.). is a large assembly of Cuckoos seen by henelf in tV month of August, 

 and :iii<>tlnT relates a curious anerd.it.- . .f a number of Cuckoos, which he saw on tin- \\inu. 

 inu :-'M -i and near a large gray stone. It seems that these birds are very partial to promi- 

 nlject>. such as lushes, tre?-Mu in]*, large stones, etc., ainl that they an- fund df con- 

 gregutin- in their \irinity. 



Tin- |>eculiar note >f tin- ( 'm-koo is so \\<-]\ known as to nee<l no ]iartirular description, but 

 ili.-l.uiilii-i-.ii.it ijuite so fumiliiir with tin- fact that tin- not,- changes aooonling to the time of 

 year. When tin- l>inl first IH--III- to sing, the notes are full ami i-li-ar ; luit towards tin- end of 

 tin- x-ason. they become ln--itatini:. hoarse, an<l broken, like the breaking voice of a young lad. 

 Thi- i* . -uliarity was n<itir.-<| ]i.m: airo by ob-*-i \aiit j..-r-<in-, and many are the country rhymes 

 ^ Inch Ix-ar allusion to the voice and the sojourn of tin- t'nckoo. For example : 



"In April 

 Come h. win. 

 In M.y 



He (ing* an day. 

 ID June 



He lt-n hli tone. 

 In July 



He pn-para* to fly. 

 In Angiut 

 Qo he most 



This rhyme is often slightly varied, as : 



" In April Cuckoo Ring* her Ur ; 

 In Mar (he sing* both night and day; 

 In Jane ahv I MM her tweet mtrmin ; 

 In Jaly ihe I* off again." 



An old writer, John Haywood, who "flourished," according to Hangnail, about 1580, has tin- 

 following quaint and very graphic rhyme upon tin- voice of the Cuckoo at different periods of 

 the year : 



" In April the Coocoo can ling her long by rote. 

 In Jane oft time she cannot *ing a note. 

 At flrat, koo, koo ; koo, koo ; BingB till can ahe do. 

 At lait. kooke, kooke, kooke ; ilz kooke* to one koo." 



The voic.- of the female bird is quite distinct from that of the male, and has been compared 

 to the sound made by pouring water out of a narrow-necked bottle, and to the quacking 

 clutter of the dabchick. 



Sometimes the Cuckoo has been known to sing at night, having been seen to perch in a 

 tree and th.-n to commence its song. Many such instances are recorded, as also of the Cuckoo's 

 song heard very early in the season ; but in all such instances where the bird was not actually 

 seen, great caution must be used in accepting evidence. For the note of the Cuckoo is BO 

 peculiar, and so easily imitated, that boys are often in the habit of hiding in the copses and 

 Jhind hedges for the purpose of deluding people into the idea that the Cuckoo has arrived. 

 There have even been instances where such delinquents have confessed their bad practices 

 when they attained to mature years, and wrote on natural history themselves. 



When tin- stomach of the Cuckoo is opened, it is found to be lined with brown hairs, 

 which on i n vest iirit i<>n with the microscope have been found to be those of the long-haired 

 caterpillars, such as the " woolly-bear, C . the ln\a of the tiger moth (Arctia oy'a), on 

 which the Cuckoo loves to feed. 



In captivity it feeds on many substances, always preferring caterpillars and raw beef 

 chopped fine. It also likes worms, hard-boiled eggs, flies, wasp-grubs, and similar food. 

 According to some persons, the young Cuckoo is a very easy bird to rear; while according 

 to others it gives the greatest trouble. One u riter goes so far as to say that he would sooner 

 rear a baby single-handed than a Cuckoo. However this may be, the first winter is always a 

 trying season to the young bird, and there are very few which get well through it. 



