The Zoologist— May, 1873. 3501 



The Cuckoo. By Dr. A. E. Brehm.* 



During the pairing time the cuckoo acts like a headstrong, 

 passionate idiot. How angry sounds his cry, and what a rage he 

 gets into when another of the same species dares to invade his 

 territory. He will come blindly to the call of the sportsman, who 

 understands how to imitate his note. Sitting on a branch, with 

 raised tail and ruffled head-feathers, he cries " cuckoo " as a note 

 of defiance to the world at large. While flying he will often glide 

 slowly in front of his mate, and tell his passion with a low 

 "cwawawa," to which the latter answers, "kwikwikwik," &c., with 

 great rapidity, a cry savouring more of laughter, or a chuckle, 

 than a favourable response to his affectionate invitation. When 

 both are at the height of their courtship the one cries " cuckookook 

 cuckookook," while the other laughs and chuckles. After the 

 breeding season is over both sexes are silent. It is possible that, 

 as a rule, the cuckoo is content with one mate; yet it is more 

 likely that neither sex is particular in the matter of conjugal 

 fidelity : it seems much more likely that each male should court 

 all the females alike, and vice versa, else why this unbounded 

 jealousy ? 



At the commencement of the pairing time the female begins to 

 hunt diligently amongst the bushes for some suitable nest in which 

 to lay her egg, for this traitor to other birds, impatient and rest- 

 less, does not care to take upon herself the trouble of rearing her 

 own brood, but leaves them entirely to the care of others. The 

 little warblers must exercise all their activity to keep such an in- 

 satiable bird as a young cuckoo supplied with food, while the real 

 parents are enjoying themselves, flying hither and thither to their 

 heart's content, laying other eggs, and abandoning them without a 

 pang of remorse. As we have said before, the hen cuckoo, before 

 laying, searches ever crack, crevice, or bush, until she has found 

 a nest suited to her requirements. She then lays her egg; if 

 necessary, first on the ground, whence she picks it up with h^r beak, 

 and places in the home she has selected for it. The foster-parents 

 generally chosen by the cuckoo are generally picked out from 

 amongst some fifty diff'erent species of insectivorous birds : those 



* Extracted from 'Bird-Life,' Part, VII., a translation of TvHch is now in course 

 puLlication by Mr. Yan Voorst. 



SECOND SERIES — VOL. VIII. T 



