cuckow. 257 



V^UCKOWS have the bill in general weak, and more or less 

 bending. 



Nostrils, with a few exceptions, bounded by a small rim. 



Tongue short, pointed. 



Tail, for the most part, cuneiform, consisting of ten feathers. 



Toes placed two forwards, and two backwards. 



Such are the general characters, admitting of some deviation in 

 particular instances; in a few the nostrils are not precisely formed as 

 above mentioned. Two or three are said to have twelve feathers in 

 the tail, nor is this part in all cuneiform ; one or other, however, of 

 the reigning characters will be found among those which deviate, 

 sufficient to justify placing them in this Genus : but, indeed, should 

 a division be thought requisite, Cuckows might be separated into two 

 families, the one, like the true Cuckow, to consist of such as make 

 use of other birds for rearing their young ; the other, those which 

 make nests for that purpose, and hatch their own eggs. Of the 

 former, we do not positively know more than five or six; and of the 

 latter scarcely twice as many ; the manners of the rest being quite 

 unknown, and therefore must continue to be blended with each other, 

 till we have more authority for such separation. 



1— COMMON CUCKOW. 



Cuculus canorus, Ihd.Orn.i. 207. Lin.\. 168. Faun. SWc. No. 96. Gm.Lin.i. 

 409. Scop. i. No. 48. Rati 23. Will. 6. t. 7. 27. Bris. iv. 105. Id. Svo ii. 

 p. 70. Klein, p. 30. Id. Stem. 5. t. 4. f. 5. a. c. Frisch. t. 40, 41. Kram. 337. 

 Brun. No. 36. Muller. No. 95. Georgi p. 165. Faun. Arag. p. 13. Sepp. Vog. 

 t. p. 117. Schcef. El. t. 31. Block. Berl. Nat. iv. s. 582. t. 18. f. 1. (the egg.) 

 Gerin. i. 80 t. 67. 69. Borowsk. ii. 125, Bechst. N. Deutsch. ii. 484. Besek. 

 Vog. Kurl. s. 34. Berl. Neu. Schrift. i. 166. Shaw. Zool. Lect. i. t. 60. Gen. 

 Zool. ix. 68. pi. 16. Tern. Man. d'Orn. p. 235. Id. Ed. ii, p. 382. 



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