Cuckoo ZYGODACTYLI. CUCULUS. 101 
From what has been above written, it will be evident that 
T do not lean to the opinion of those who think that the Cuc_ 
koo remains in this country during the winter, in a state of 
torpidity, concealed in the hollows of trees, or in the thickest 
parts of furze-bushes. One or two instances of such an oc- 
currence are not sufficient authority upon which to build a 
general assertion, with respect to the species; and I should 
conceive that those denuded cuckoos mentioned by WHu1- 
LoucHBy and Berwick as thus discovered, must have been 
young birds of late hatchings, not sufficiently strong to leave 
this country even at the latest period of migration. Attempts 
to rear the cuckoo have often been made, but hitherto unsuc- 
cessfully, as it never reaches to the succeeding spring. I 
have not been able to keep them alive beyond the month of 
February, although supplied with abundance of their natural 
food; and it is scarcely necessary to add, that they never 
shewed any signs of torpidity, nor any wish to hybernate.— 
The natural food of the cuckoo consists of insects, particular- Food. 
ly the hairy larvze of seme of the lepidopterous erder: one of 
these it first kills, by passmg it through the sharp tomia, or 
edges of its mandibles, it then adroitly cuts off the hinder 
end, and, by repeated jerks, frees the caterpillar of the intes- 
tinal canal, after which it swallows it whole. The well- 
known notes of the cuckoo are confined to the male, the fe- 
male making only a chattering noise. It is a bold and fierce 
bird, and when handled, even at an early age, ruffles its fea- 
thers, and defends itself with eagerness. 
Puiate 37. Figure of the natural size. 
Bill blackish-brown, yellowish at the base. The corners General 
of the mouth, and the rim round the eyes orange. mele 
Irides gamboge-yellow. Gape orange-red. Head, Adult bird. 
neck, breast and upper parts deep bluish-grey, darkest 
upon the wing-coverts. ‘The whole of the belly, thighs, 
and under tail-coverts white, with transverse black bars. 
Inner webs of the quill-feathers with oval white spots. 
