RELUCTANT MIGRANTS 191 



woodland species to leave all shelter of trees. This 

 relates to a species of cuckoo which did not breed in 

 our plantation, but I recognised the bird when I 

 saw it, as I had made its acquaintance the summer 

 before. It was one of the North American cuckoos 

 of the genus Coccyzus^ an exceedingly rare species 

 in Argentina — so rare, that it was not known to visit 

 that country till I found it. This solitary bird 

 appeared in our trees late in the season, after all 

 the early migrants had departed. I first caught 

 sight of it on the trees growing on the north side of 

 the plantation. Beyond that was the level treeless 

 plain. I kept it under observation for three days, 

 and could find it at any hour skulking in the foliage 

 at that same spot, afraid, as I imagined, to quit its 

 shelter. Then it disappeared, and it at once occurred 

 to me to pay a visit to the next plantation, situated 

 due north from ours and plainly in sight, to look 

 for it there. And there, sure enough, I came upon it 

 on the north side of the grove, skulking in a skimpy 

 thorn hedge. Again, on the following day, I found 

 it in the same place; but on the third day it had 

 vanished, and the next plantation to the north was 

 too far off for me to try to keep up with it. 



This reluctance of the woodland bird to cross an 

 open treeless space is like that of the migrants on 

 coming to the sea. I see it every year on our south 

 coast, when swallows and other birds sometimes 

 spend days before they venture across. 



One must constantly bear in mind that all birds 

 are reluctant to quit their homes. His home, his little 



