THE PIE KIND. 217 



In considering to what causes the singularities 

 of the cuckoo may be attributed, the Doctor 

 suggests the following as the most probable : 

 " The short residence this bird is allowed to 

 make in the country where it is destined to pro- 

 pagate its species, and the call that nature has 

 upon it, during that short residence, to produce 

 a numerous progeny. The cuckoo's first appear- 

 ance here is about the middle of April, common- 

 ly on the lyth. Its egg is not ready for incuba- 

 tion till some weeks after its arrival, seldom be- 

 fore the middle of May. A fortnight is taken 

 up by the sitting-bird in hatching the egg. The 

 young bird generally continues three weeks in 

 the nest before it flies, and the foster-parents 

 feed it more than five weeks after this period ; 

 so that if a cuckoo should be ready with an egg 

 much sooner than the time pointed out, not a 

 single nestling, even one of the earliest, would 

 be fit to provide for itself before its parent would 

 be instinctively directed to seek a new residence, 

 and be thus compelled to abandon its young one ; 

 for old cuckoos take their final leave of this coun- 

 try the first week in July."] 



Such are the manners of this bird while it con- 

 tinues to reside, or to be seen amongst us. But 

 early, at the approach of winter, it totally disap- 

 pears, and its passage can be traced to no other 

 country. Some suppose that it lies hid in hollow 

 trees, and others that it passes into warmer 

 climates. Which of these opinions is true is very 

 uncertain, as there are no facts related on either 

 side that can be totally relied on. To support the 



