^ NATURAL HISTORY 



neck, as in the gallince, columbcB, &c. but 

 immediately behind it, on and over the 

 bowels, so as to make a large protuberance 

 in the belly.* 



Induced by this assertion, we procured a 

 cuckoo -: and cutting open the breast-bone, 

 and exposing the intestines to sight, found 

 the crop lying as mentioned above. This 

 stomach w^as large and round, and stuffed 

 hard, like a pincushion, with food, which, 

 upon nice examination, we found to consist 

 of various insects; such as small scarabs, 

 spiders, and dragon-flies ; the last of which 

 we have seen cuckoos catching on the wing 

 as they were just emerging out of the 

 aurelia state. Among this farrago also were 

 to be seen maggots, and many seeds, which 

 belonged either to gooseberries, currants, 

 cranberries, or some such fruit; so that 

 these birds apparently subsist on insects and 

 fruits : nor was there the least appearance 

 of bones, feathers, or fur, to support the 

 idle notion of their being birds of prey. 



* Hutoire de V Academic Roi/nk, 1752. 



