THE CUCKOO 223 



THE CUCKOO (Family Cuculid^) 



The Cuckoos are a large and widely-distributed family, being 

 found well-nigh everywhere in the world. They have not all the 

 same habits as our own cuckoo, for some build nests and rear their 

 own young; but we may take our familiar visitant as a type of the 

 family. 



The oldest of English songs thus begins: — 



" Summer is a-coming in, 

 Loud sings Cuckoo ". 



And to this day one of the iirst sounds for which we listen in 

 spring is the note of the cuckoo. We never feel that winter has 

 really gone until we hear it. For the cuckoo is a very delicate 

 bird, and flies away over the sea quite early in the autumn, in 

 order to avoid the frost and snow. 



It always seems to know, in its warm winter home, when our 

 cold weather is over; and then it comes back again to spend the 

 spring and summer with us. 



Another old rhyme tells about the short visit of the cuckoo 

 to this country: — 



" In April 



Come he will. 



In May 



He sings all day. 



In June 



He alters his tune. 



In July 



He prepares to fly. 



In August 



Go he must." 



Now this is quite true. The cuckoo always comes to us in 

 April, when the frosty days are over and the trees are putting 

 out their leaves. In May you may hear him calling, " Cuckoo, 

 cuckoo!" from dawn to dusk. 



But in June his note alters, and then he cries, " Cuck, cuck, 

 cuck-oo!" instead of " Cuckoo!" as before. In July he is not heard 



