142 BRITISH AND EUROPEAN BIRDS. 



There were Ringtails and Lanners, and Gos- 

 hawks, a few ; 



And the Falcons, like aides-de-camp, round about 

 flew; 



hedge-sparrow feed a young cuckoo for about three weeks. It 

 was taken from a hedge-sparrow's nest in a hedge in my father's 

 garden, a few yards only from the dwelling-house, soon after it 

 was hatched, and immediately placed in a large blackbird's 

 cage, the door of which was left open, the cage being placed a 

 short distance from the hedge whence the bird was taken. The 

 hedge-sparrow went regularly into the cage with food to the 

 cuckoo, till it became able to fly ; the door was then closed, and 

 she fed it through the bars of the cage, but in about three weeks 

 deserted it. We afterwards supplied it with bread and milk, 

 and earthworms, which last, on being placed in its mouth, it 

 devoured most greedily; but it seemed unwilling, or unable, to 

 pick up either worms or the bread-and-milk. When it attempted 

 to pick up its food, which it sometimes did, the head and neck 

 were first drawn back slowly, and then darted forward in a way 

 that seemed formidable ; but, nevertheless, was very inefficient 

 as a process for obtaining food. This bird arrived at a consi- 

 derable size, but it was generally very sluggish and inactive. It 

 was found dead in its cage one morning some time in August, it 

 was conjectured chiefly from cold; but, probably, also, from a 

 deficiency, or total want of its natural food. It was, when first 

 taken, and for some time afterwards, both in appearance and in 

 its motions, a disgusting animal; as it grew up, however, its 

 appearance improved. 



And here I cannot avoid hinting my suspicions, that the 

 cuckoo, even when at maturity, might be fed sometimes by 

 other birds; certain it is, that it is very often accompanied hi 

 its flight by one or more small birds, for what purpose I could 

 never ascertain. See the Note on the Wryneck. As, how- 

 ever, the cuckoo is a scansorial bird, it is very possible that it 



