THE BEfi CUCKOO. 177 



Plumage varies Description. 



The plumage of the cuckoo varies greatly at 

 different periods of its life. In young cuckoos 

 the bill, legs, and tail, are nearly the same as in 

 the old ones; the eye is blue ; the throat, neck, 

 breast and belly are elegantly barred with a dark 

 brown on a light ground ; the back is of a lead 

 color, mixed with brown, and faintly barred with 

 white: the tail-feathers are irregularly marked 

 with black, light brown, and white, and tipped 

 with white; its legs are yellow. 



This is the only species found in Great Britain, 

 and not more than two or three are natives even 

 of Europe. The different species are scattered 

 through the four quarters of the globe, but are 

 much more usual in the hot than in temperate 

 or cold climates. The note of this bird is in all 

 countries used in a reproachful sense. 



THE BEE CUCKOO. 



THE bee cuckoo, or moroc, in its external 

 appearance, does not much differ from the com- 

 mon sparrow : except that it is somewhat larger, 

 and of a rather lighter colour; it has also a yel- 

 low spot on each shoulder, and the feathers of its 

 tail are dashed with white. 



This bird is exceedingly fond both of honey 

 and bee maggots, and is therefore peculiar for its 

 faculty of discovering and pointing out to man, 

 jind to the animal called the ratel, the nests of 

 iij. NO. xix. z 



