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THE CUCKOO. 



(Cuculus canorus.) 



The Cuckoo is a most useful bird, as regards his 

 food, which consists for the most part of very mischievous 

 insects and caterpillars of all kinds ; it is the more so as 

 this bird is insatiable. 



An individual Cuckoo probably always lays its eggs 

 in the same neighbourhood, and always in the nest of 

 the same kind of bird, and usually the same kind in 

 which it was itself brought up. The young Cuckoo 

 soon obtains the upper hand in the nest, on account of 

 its rapid growth, and throws out its weaker foster- 

 brothers and sisters. It always calls Its own name 

 though it sounds more like " ha-hu" ; sometimes it 

 utters sounds which are like laughter. There is a 

 popular superstition that the Cuckoo foretells to those 

 who ask it, how many years they will live and to 

 young maidens, how many years they must wait for a 

 husband. 



Like the Swallow it brings the announcement of 

 spring, and our Hungarian children have a song : 



Cuckoo ! Cuckoo ! sounds from the wood 



Now let us dance and sing; 



For Spring is coming; Spring is here; " 



The Cuckoo detracts from its usefulness, however, by 

 its other actions. It greatly damages tne nests of the 

 small useful birds, in which it places its eggs, and con- 

 sequently its young ones. The female Cuckoo selects 

 a district, finds out all the nests of Wren, Robin, White- 



