64 PEARLS AND PEBBLES. 



I had never been so near to the cuckoo before, and was 

 struck by the beauty of the bird and her wise ways. 



On a movement of my head in order to get a closer 

 peep at the pretty creature, she became alarmed and 

 silently dropped off the nest backwards, slyly slipping 

 out of sight among the grass and herbage below the 

 tree ; then, noiselessly gliding away, she reappeared on 

 a tree beyond the garden and uttered a succession of 

 loud angry cries, each a distinct syllable — " Kow ! v kow ! 

 kow ! kow ! " — repeating them many times, as if to say 

 in threatening tones, " How dare you look into my nest, 

 you big, disagreeable creature ! '' 



That was what she meant ; so, knowing I was an 

 impertinent intruder, I retired to a little distance to 

 allow her to return to her four beautiful pale blue eggs, 

 pocketing the affront for the time, but often returning 

 to take a furtive peep at Mistress Cuckoo and hear her 

 scolding cry of " Kow ! kow ! " 



I had hoped to make myself acquainted with the little 

 brood, but unluckily the nest was discovered by some 

 boys of bird-nesting propensities, or it may have been by 

 a cat. In fact I had my suspicions that one or other of 

 our own tom-cats may have been the culprit that robbed 

 the poor cuckoo of her eggs or newly hatched birds. 



The common name " Rain Crow " was given the Black- 

 billed Cuckoo on account of her loud, oft-repeated note 

 being heard before rain. 



There is another bird belonging to the Cuckoo family 



