102 



THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATURALIST. 



DANISH SUPERSTITION REGARDING 

 THE CUCKOO. 



Sir, — Having admitted into your journal 

 " The Legend of the Crossbill," and a contro- 

 versy regarding the Robin as " God's Bird," 

 I think the following may interest your 

 readers : — 



On the appearance of the Cuckoo (Cuculus 

 canorus) in Denmark the village girls, in 

 spring time, kiss their bands — addressing the 

 bird when they hear its note — exclaiming, 

 "Cuckoo, cuckoo, when shall I be married?" 

 Then the old Danish (oiks, born down with age 

 and rheumatism, repeat the words, '* Cuckoo, 

 cuckoo, when shall we be released from this 

 world's care ?" The bird continues to call 

 " Cuckoo " so many times as years will elapse, 

 evidently satisfying and dissatisfying many 

 young and old regarding their peculiar wishes 

 But as some people live to a maximum age 

 and girls may become old maids it is sup- 

 posed that the poor Cuckoos are so much 

 engaged in annually answering these supersti- 

 tious people, that they have no time to build 

 nests. Therefore, the eggs of the Cuckoo are 

 deposited in the nest of the Hedge Sparrow 

 (Accentor modularis.) R. S. 



Montreal, December, 1881. 



Note. — The female Cuckoo should, in ac- 

 cordance with- the gen^ifal nature of birds, be 

 the nest-builder, and thejmale is only supposed 

 to call " cuckoo." Our correspondent evi- 

 dently writes the above to show that one 

 European legend is as good as another. They 

 are either childish or doting thoughts pro- 

 pounded from a want of proper education. We 

 do not wish to have any more of this kind of 

 matter. Give us something original. — C. 



THE ACCLIMATIZED SPARROW. 



Sir, — As a lover of birds, and being a friend 

 to that pert little bird called the European or 

 English Sparrow (Passer domes ricus,) will 

 you kindly insert in your valuable journal the 

 following extract from the " Gardener's Chron- 

 icle," London, Eng., July, 1879, on the 



USES OF THE SPARROW : 



" We are sorry that Sparrows are still re- 

 garded as enemies by many of our village 

 husbandmen ; thus the overseers are yet em- 

 powered by the vestry meeting to pay one-halt- 



penny per head for all destroyed. It is a pity 

 we have not yet learned more humanity, for 

 without doubt this persecuted bird is one of 

 the best friends both to the gardener and far- 

 mer. A calculation has been made that a pair 

 of Sparrows destroy nearly four thousand cater- 

 pillars per week; besides other insects, while 

 rearing their young. When Cockchafers (Melo- 

 lontha vulgaris) abound, which happens period- 

 ically, they would speedily become a perfect 

 pest but for the Sparrow. It is true the Rook 

 (Corvus frugilegus) destroys an immense 

 quantity, yet it should be remembered the des- 

 pised Sparrow has access to gardens and other 

 small enclosures where the Rook is denied 

 access. The Sparrow fortunately does more 

 for our house comfort, for he destroys one of 

 our greatest pests, the common house-fly, 

 which, were it not for his persistent .efforts, 

 would multiply to an alarming extent. Scarce- 

 ly anything in the way of insect food comes 

 amiss, for he is a voracious feeder. Therefore, 

 he should be regarded more as a friend than a 

 foe." 



P.S. — I believe since the above was written, 

 the " Wild Bird's Act " protects the Sparrow. 

 -R.S. 



Note. — The Domestic Sparrow's habits have 

 considerably changed since its introduction 

 into Canada. — C. 



A GENERAL DELUGE. 



BY G. W. BROWN, M.D. 



{Co7itiii7iedfro?n flagegd-) 



On many of the islands of the Pacific are 

 found traces of an ancient people who 

 possessed an order of civilization closely 

 resembling that of Oriental nations, as 

 first revealed to us at the commencement 

 of the historic period, and almost 

 identical with those now being explored in 

 Mexico and Yucatan, and similar to those of 

 Peru in South America. These people passed 

 away, as did the mound builders of our own 

 country, leaving enduring monuments of their 

 labors, which modern travellers look upon with 

 astonishment, as they reveal a period of con- 

 siderable advancement in the arts, and a 

 knowledge of mechanics unknown to their 

 degenerated successors. In support of this 

 proposition, we make the following quotation 

 from a newspaper article which we find float- 

 ing through the press without credit, but fur- 



