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CUCULUS. 
Cucutus, auctorum. 
CHARACTER GENERICUS. 
Rostrum teretiusculum, gracile, subincurvatum. 
Nares prominule. 
Pedes simplices, digitis duobus anticis, duobus posticis, 
externis longioribus: wngues equales. 
CUCKOW. 
GENERIC CHARACTER. 
Beak rounded, slender, slightly incurved. 
Nostrils prominent, margined. 
Feet simple, with two toes before and two behind, the 
external toes longest: nails equal. 
The feet are generally considered as scansorious, or 
formed for climbing (pedes scansorii) ; but this not being 
the case, they must be regarded as simple feet, having two 
toes before and two behind. The tail is composed of ten 
feathers, of which those towards the middle are the longest, . 
the lateral ones being remarkably short. 
Cuckows feed on larve or caterpillars, and on perfect 
insects: they are remarkable for neglecting their young, 
the female always depositing her eggs singly in the nests of 
smaller birds. Soon after it is hatched it begins to throw 
the other young birds from the nest, which it accomplishes 
by gently elevating them one by one to the brink of the 
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