THRUSHES. 171 



some strange delusion, a small Hedge-Sparrow is persuaded 

 to look upon an enormous Cuckoo as its own beloved young 

 one, may we not suspect that the Cuckoo has some instinctive 

 mode of gaining the affections, or attracting the attention of 

 those birds from whom it requires assistance ? The case was 

 this, A young Cuckoo was taken from the nest of a Hedge- 

 Sparrow, and a few days afterwards, a young Thrush, scarcely 

 fledged, was put into the same cage. The latter could feed 

 itself, but the Cuckoo, its companion, was obliged to be fed 

 with a quill ; in a short time, however, the Thrush took upon 

 itself the task of feeding its fellow-prisoner, and continued so 

 to do with the utmost care, bestowing every possible attention, 

 and manifesting the greatest anxiety to satisfy its continual 

 craving for food.* 



The folio wing is a still mor,e extraordinary instance, corro- 

 borating the above, and for the truth of which we can vouch 

 in every particular. A young Thrush,, just able to feed 

 itself, had been placed in a cage ; a short time afterwards, a 

 young Cuckoo, which could not feed itself, was introduced 

 into the same cage, a large wicker one, and for some time it 

 was with much difficulty fed ; at length, however, it was ob- 

 served that the young Thrush was employed in feeding it, 

 the Cuckoo opening its mouth and sitting on the upper 

 perch, and making the Thrush hop down to fetch food up. 

 One day, when it was thus expecting its food in this way, 

 the Thrush seeing a worm put into the cage could not resist 

 the temptation of eating it, upon which the Cuckoo imme- 

 diately descended from its perch, and attacking the Thrush, 

 literally tore one of its eyes quite out, and then hopped back : 

 the poor Thrush felt itself obliged to take up s-ome food in 

 the lacerated state it was in. The eye healed in course of 

 time, and the Thrush continued its occupation as before, till 

 the Cuckoo was full grown. 



The Fly-Catchers form the third genus of the notch-billed 



* In dissecting a young Cuckoo, killed August 20, 1833, about twenty 

 full-grown caterpillars, of the peacock butterfly (Pap. 7o), were found 

 undigested. The stomachs of these birds are remarkable for having a 

 coating of hair, which, when dried and turned inside out, looks very 

 similar, in colour, size, and form, to a mouse's head. 



