48 British Birds, with their Nests and Eggs. 



in the nests of other birds after the fashion of the American Cow-birds. Jerdon 

 gives the following structiii-al characters for this group: — "Bill slender, somewhat 

 broad at the base, convex above, gently curved at the culmen ; nostrils round, 

 membranous : wings pointed ; tail rounded, nearlj- square, subfurcate in one group ; 

 tibial feathers lengthened ; tarsus ver3' short, partly feathered ; feet small ; outer 

 toe capable of being directed either backwards or sideways." 



Familv—CUCULID/E. 



The Cuckoo. 



Ciici/his canonis, lylNN. 



DISTRIBUTED over nearly the whole of Europe, though not common in 

 summer in the extreme soitth ; it also occurs over nearly- the whole of 

 Asia, although only a winter visitor to the greater part of India, Ceylon, and 

 Burma ; in winter, moreover, it visits the Philippines and Celebes. In Northern 

 Africa it is common on migration, and a few remain to breed, but in winter it 

 occurs as far south as Natal : it is a straggler to the Canaries and Madeira. 



In the British Islands the Cuckoo is common and generally distributed. 



The adult Cuckoo has the upper parts smoky ash-gre}' ; wings more dusk}', 

 inner webs of the flights barred with white ; tail dark slate-grey, with white tip 

 and small indistinct white spots, mostly on the outer feathers ; throat and breast 

 ash-gre}' ; remainder of under parts white, barred with dull brown : bill blackish, 

 with yellow edges, the base paler ; feet, and iris yellow. The sexes are generally 

 alike in plumage, but the female is said sometimes to show a slight rufous tinge 

 on the breast. The young have the upper parts grey, barred with dull chestnut, 

 the feathers edged with white : iris at first grey, subsequently brown. 



The Cuckoo usually arrives in this country' some time in April, and starts on 

 the return migration in August or September, the young birds being the last to 



