80 COMMON CUCKOW. 



take aim, while the female is secured by her 

 silence. 



Cuckows may be, and often are, brought up 

 tame, so as to become familiar. They will eat in 

 this state bread and milk, fruit, insects, eggs, and 

 flesh either cooked or raw ; but in a state of nature 

 chiefly live on caterpillars of the smooth kind, 

 though they have frequently been dissected with 

 their stomachs full of the hairy larvae of various 

 Bombycides*. Some have fed on vegetable matter, 

 beetles, and small stones. When fat, they are 

 said to be as good eating as a Land-rail. The 

 French and Italians eat them to this day. The 

 ancient Romans admired them greatly as food; 

 and Pliny says that there is no bird which can be 

 compared to them for delicacy. 



Some imagine the Cuckow remains in this coun- 

 try hidden in hollow trees, in a torpid state, during 

 the winter. In support of this opinion, Wil- 

 loughby relates the following story. " The serv- 

 ants of a gentleman in the country, having stacked 

 up, in one of the meadows, some old, dry, rotten 

 willows, thought proper on a certain occasion to 

 carry them home. In heating a stove, two logs of 

 this timber were put into the lower part, and fire 

 was applied as usual. But soon, to the great sur- 

 prise of the family, was heard the voice of a Cuc- 

 kow chirping from under the stove. Wondering 

 at so extraordinary a cry in winter time, the 



* Lasiocampa Rubi, (Fox moth): L. Querctis, (Oak-eggar 

 moth): and L. potatoria, (Drinker moth). 



