COMMON CUCKOO. 199 



also white, but the dark bars are less numerous ; legs and 

 toes gamboge yellow. 



The whole length about fourteen inches ; from the carpal 

 joint to the end of the wing eight inches and three- 

 quarters ; the first quill-feather near three inches shorter 

 than the second, which is equal to the fourth, the third 

 feather the longest in the wing. 



The female is smaller than the male, and on her first re- 

 turn to this country has the neck barred with brown, and 

 the wings and back tinged with brown ; adult females 

 differ but little from adult males. 



Young birds of the year, when they have attained the 

 length of twelve inches, have the irides brown ; whole of 

 the upper surface of head and body barred alternately with 

 brownish red and clove brown ; quill and tail-feathers red- 

 dish brown, the former barred with white, the latter spotted 

 with white in the line of the shaft of the feather : neck, 

 breast, and under parts, dull white, closely barred with 

 dark brown. Young birds about to leave the nest are 

 represented in the vignette below. 



