PERCHING BIRDS. 225 



ing clear and strong in the woods. The bird itself 

 may be easily Seen flying hurriedly, and apparently 

 heavily, from one tree to another, usually followed 

 by a few small birds in its train. The various 

 stages of its progress, during its sojourn here, 

 have been also noted in the popular couplet : 



" In April, come lie will ; 



In May, he sings all day ; 



In June, he alters his tune ; 



In July, he prepares to fly 



Come August, go he must." 



Singular as the cry of this bird is, still more 

 singular is its strange, unnatural habit of leaving 

 other birds to take care of its young. That this 

 is the case has been proved by numerous instances. 

 Not only have the eggs of the cuckoo been found 

 in the nests of many of the smaller birds, but the 

 young, cuckoo has been seen to turn out the law- 

 ful progeny of its foster parents, and the/latter, 

 (strangest of all) to feed the intruder with eager- 

 ness, apparently regardless, or unwitting of the fate 

 of their own young. The nests usually chosen by 

 the cuckoo to deposit her eggs in, are those of the 

 hedge-sparrow, the wagtail, the titlark, the yellow 

 hammer, and various others ; but the hedge-sparrow 

 seems preferred to any. The smallness of the 

 cuckoo's egg, in proportion to the size of the 



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