THE NIGHTINGALE VALLEY 109 



exceptions to the rule of cuckoo-life. In Spain, a 

 large cuckoo is the especial parasite of the magpie, and 

 lays eggs which almost exactly resemble those of the 

 latter bird. Yet, in America, there is an honest 

 cuckoo, which builds a nest though a bad one, and 

 hatches its own eggs. This is the " cow-bird," so 

 called from its note, " Kowe kowe kowe," which is 

 uttered with gradually increasing speed until it some- 

 what resembles the bubbling notes at times uttered by 

 our cuckoo. The American cuckoo will even decoy 

 visitors from its nest by the affectionate arts which so 

 many birds make use of to divert danger from their 

 young to themselves. 



It would be interesting to know which place " pays 

 best," from the cuckoo point of view, and to try the 

 result of contact with European cuckoo morals on the 

 honest American cousin. If birds have the power of 

 comparison, the contrast must be hard to bear ; for the 

 career of the disreputable young cuckoo is one of 

 worldly success from his first chipping the shell to his 

 late departure from our shores. He is born with a 

 special contrivance in the structure of his back, to 

 enable him to hoist his foster-brothers out, and never 

 rests till he has done so, and made things quiet and 

 comfortable. The foster-parents then pamper the 

 young cuckoo with a silly infatuation, due apparently 

 to its size and appetite. " See what a fine child we 

 have got ! " is the obvious feeling of a pair of wagtails 

 or hedge-sparrows fussing round a young cuckoo, 

 which though fully fledged is too lazy to feed itself. 



