CUCKOO. 63 



Nest. May. One brood. 



Site, In a hole in a tree, especially in willows and ashes. 



Materials. Twigs, straw, rootlets, and feathers, cemented 

 by an evil-smelling ordure. 



Eggs. Five to seven. Pale greenish blue at first, but they 

 soon become stained. 



Family- CUCULIDJE. 

 CUCKOO (Cuculus canorus). 



Migrant ; mid-April to August, or September. Generally dis- 

 tributed and abundant. Found everywhere in the country. 



Observation. The general appearance of the Cuckoo is dis- 

 tinctly Hawk-like, the long tail and barred under parts much 

 resembling the Sparrow Hawk ; but note shorter wings. 



Plumage. Upper parts bluish ash-grey. Wings darker, and 

 inner webs barred with white. Tail dark slate-grey with white 

 necks, and rather long. Throat and breast ash-grey ; under 

 parts dull white, transversely barred with dull brown. Bill 

 blackish, with yellow edges ; gape wide. Legs yellow. Length 

 13J in. Female similar, but slightly rufous on the breast. 

 Young, upper parts grey, barred with reddish brown. 



Language. The well-known "cuckoo," sometimes " cuck- 

 cuck-oo," and more rarely "cuckoo," &c., and ending in an 

 abrupt " cuck." The female utters a curious bubbling kind 

 of noise. 



Habits It is parasitical, laying its eggs on the ground, and 

 conveying them in its beak to the nest of some other bird, 

 which hatches same and acts as foster-parent to the young 

 Cuckoo. When old and strong enough the young Cuckoo at 

 once ejects the rightful tenants of the nest. Flight fairly 

 rapid and direct, but somewhat laboured. It seldom alights 

 on the ground, on which it is awkward, owing to its short legs. 



Food. Insects principally; specially fond of hairy cater- 

 pillars. 



Nest. Upwards of sixty different kinds of British birds have 

 done duty as foster-parents to the young Cuckoo ; but most 

 usually tne female deposits her egg in the nests of the Meadow 

 Pipit, Reed Warbler, Pied Wagtail, and Hedge Sparrow. Five 

 to eight eggs are said to be laid in a season, though it is rare 

 to find more than one Cuckoo's egg in any nest. The egg is 

 absurdly small for the bird's size, being no larger than a Sky- 

 lark's. It varies, as a rule, according to the kind of eggs 

 among which it is placed. Usually dull greenish or ruddy 

 white, spotted and mottled with darker shades of the same 

 colours. 



