YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. 3 



Georgia : preferring, in all these places, the borders of solitary 

 swamps and apple orchards. It leaves us, on its return south- 

 ward, about the middle of September. 



The singular — I will not say unnatural — conduct of the 

 European cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), which never constructs 

 a nest for itself, but drops its eggs in those of other birds, 

 and abandons them to their mercy and management, is so 

 universally known, and so proverbial, that the whole tribe of 

 cuckoos have, by some inconsiderate people, been stigmatised 

 as destitute of all parental care and affection. Without 

 attempting to account for this remarkable habit of the Euro- 

 pean species, far less to consider as an error what the wisdom 

 of Heaven has imposed as a duty on the species, I will only 

 remark, that the bird now before us builds its own nest, 

 hatches its own eggs, and rears its own young ; and, in con- 

 jugal and parental affection, seems nowise behind any of its 

 neighbours of the grove. 



Early in May, they begin to pair, when obstinate battles 

 take place among the males. About the tenth of that month, 

 they commence building. The nest is usually fixed among 

 the horizontal branches of an apple tree ; sometimes in a 

 solitary thorn, crab, or cedar, in some retired part of the 

 woods. It is constructed, with little art, and scarcely any 

 concavity, of small sticks and twigs, intermixed with green 

 weeds, and blossoms of the common maple. On this almost 

 flat bed, the eggs, usually three or four in number, are placed ; 

 these are of a uniform greenish blue colour, and of a size 

 proportionable to that of the bird. While the female is sitting, 

 the male is generally not far distant, and gives the alarm, by 

 his notes, when any person is approaching. The female sits 

 so close, that you may almost reach her with your hand, and 

 then precipitates herself to the ground, feigning lameness, to 

 draw you away from the spot, fluttering, trailing her wings, 

 and tumbling over, in the manner of the partridge, wood- 

 cock, and many other species. Both parents unite in pro- 

 viding food for the young. This consists, for the most part, 



