244 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



its crepuscular habits, does its sight appear to be at 

 all affected by bright sunshine ; it is very frequently 

 found on sandy roads and paths, where it dusts itself, 

 after the manner of the game-birds. The Nightjar 

 generally sits lengthways, or, as a sailor would say, 

 " fore-and-aft," on a branch, and not across it as 

 most birds, and crouches close to its seat with 

 the head lower than the body. We have met 

 with this species in all parts of Europe which 

 we have visited in the summer ; it is especially 

 common in the sandy forest-districts of Germany, 

 but in central and southern Spain is not so abundant 

 as the Red-necked Nightjar [Caprimulgus ruficollis) . 



106. CUCKOO. 



Cuculus canonis. 



This well-known bird arrives in our district gene- 

 rally between the 12th and 20th of April, and 

 immediately proclaims its presence by its loud and 

 mellow call, of which its common name with a stress 

 on the second syllable is a very fair imitation. So 

 much has been written on the habits of the Cuckoo 

 by observers far more competent than ourselves, that 

 we do not propose to go into any lengthy details 

 concerning them, but merely state a few particulars 

 of our own personal observations of the bird in our 

 own neighbourhood. The valley of the Nen, where 

 we know it best, viz. between Thrapston and Oundle, 

 appears to have a very special attraction for the 

 Cuckoo ; its numbers of course vary in different 

 years, but in no part of our own or any other country, 

 with which we have any acquaintance, have we met 



