THE CUCKOO. IG7 



Description. 



CHAP. VIIL 



" The plain-song cuckoo grey, 



Whose note full many a man doth mark. 



And doth not answer nay." 



8HAKSPEARS, 



THE CUCKOO. 



1 HIS bird is about fourteen inches long, and 

 twenty-five broad : its bill is black, and more or 

 less bending ; the iris yellow ; its head, neck, 

 back, and wing coverts are of a pale blue, or 

 dove colour, which is darkest on the head and 

 back, and palest on the fore-part of the neck and 

 rump ; its breast and belly are white, elegantly 

 crossed with wavy bars of black : the tail, which 

 consists of ten feathers of unequal lengths, is 

 long; the two middle feathers are black, with 

 white tips ; the others dusky, marked with alter- 

 nate spots of white on each side of the shaft ; 

 the legs are short and of a yellow colour; the 

 toes are placed two forward and two backward, 

 -tnd thq claws are white. 



