126 ANNALS OF BIRD LIFE. 



from such a strange procedure, for the insects 

 they imitate are unpalatable to birds, who never 

 molest them. Among birds, such instances of 

 imitation are rare, though doubtless many remain 

 to be discovered. Our own Cuckoo is the most 

 familiar example of this curious kind of mimicry. 

 Cuckoos are weak and defenceless creatures, gifted 

 with no powerful weapons of war, and conse- 

 quently they have sought protection from their 

 greatest enemies by imitating them very closely 

 in appearance and movements. The Cuckoo is 

 remarkably like a Sparrowhawk, and often flies in 

 much the same manner from tree to tree. Such 

 a close resemblance to the Raptores serves the 

 Cuckoo in good stead ; for repeatedly the Hawks 

 and Falcons stay their course towards him, de- 

 ceived by his resemblance to one of their own 

 kind. Small birds are equally taken in by the false 

 pretences of the Cuckoo, and buffet him unmerci- 

 fully, as they often do the Hawks and Crows. 



Many birds seek to evade danger by keeping 

 absolutely still, and making themselves look as 

 much like the ground as possible. Any one who 

 has travelled across desert country will be sur- 

 prised how close most birds crouch to the ground, 

 rarely taking wing until they are almost trodden 

 upon. Birds of the Desert are almost invariably 

 sand-coloured on the upper parts, and thus, by 

 remaining motionless, they escape detection by 

 their numerous enemies. I have repeatedly had 

 Desert Larks rise from under my feet, and here and 



