JUNE. 103 



made the long circuit of the field ; but, if it happens 

 otherwise, the ground behind the blades is suddenly 

 covered on one patch with little, bleeding, bisected 

 corpses, tangled among a swathe of fallen hay. 



THE CUCKOO'S CHANGING CRY. 

 Before the hay is harvested the cuckoo has usually 

 "changed his tune," but in 1902 he remained faith- 

 ful to his " two old notes " longer than usual, and 

 even in the last week of June "Cuckoo, cuckoo" 

 was much more often heard than " Cuck-uck-oo " of 

 " Cuck-uck-uck." When, however, the bird is ex- 

 cited by the presence of a female he will always 

 introduce these variations into his song. Thus, on 

 a sleepy summer afternoon you may be listening to 

 several cuckoos, who at different distances seem to 

 be perfunctorily iterating their message, when sud- 

 denly the loud giggling cry of the female cuckoo 

 breaks from a tree near at hand. Instantly each of 

 the males within hearing breaks into a jubilant 

 ' Cuck-u-coo, cuck-u-coo," followed by a laughing 

 chatter, and you can see them trailing across the 

 sky from their different distances and directions, 

 straight and low towards the tree where the female 

 sits, and when she flies from it several will follow 

 her, " cuckooing " as they go. 



VOCIFEROUS EXPLANATION. 



While awaiting his lady love's arrival each male 

 cuckoo has a " beat " of his own, which he traverses 

 many times a day, calling from tree to tree, so that, 

 having once marked his course, you can always 



