224 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 



much broken by its striking them against the furniture that it 

 could fly but very imperfectly, it was apparently very thankful 

 to any person who would help it up on the first sash of the win- 

 dow. At other times it sat upon the fender, turning itself in 

 various directions and spreading its wings and feathers to receive 

 the heat, of which it could bear a temperature equal to 100 degrees 

 for a considerable time with seeming satisfaction. During cold 

 weather it slept at its mistress's bed-side, covered with a piece of 

 flannel, which was well warmed previous to its going to rest. With 

 this attention it generally remained quiescent until morning ; but on 

 feeling cold sometimes presumed so far as to creep under the bed- 

 clothes. It was only to those from whom it had received some hurt 

 or persecution that it expressed dislike or fear, which it did by raising 

 its neck-feathers and putting itself into an attitude of defence. It 

 never uttered the cry of the male — cuckoo — but sometimes, when 

 persons in the room were laughing, it would apparently join, and 

 emit a noise somewhat like the barking of a little dog. At all other 

 times the only sound it made was a kind of low chattering, expressive 

 of pleasure when it got into a warm place, or on seeing its mistress 

 after she had been absent for some hours. It received the unlucky 

 tramp which finally killed it, by having lost too much the apprehen- 

 sion of injury." 



From Miss Templeton I have learned the following particulars 

 respecting this cuckoo : — It moulted only a few feathers the first year 

 about Christmas : the following )^ear, about the same period, moult- 

 ing commenced, and the bird became so unwell that fears for its life 

 were excited. Some of the adult plumage was then exhibited, but 

 before there was time for this to be perfected the poor bird met with 

 its accidental death. This cuckoo was never subjected to the confine- 

 ment of a cage, but was kept in the parlour through the day, and 

 taken to its mistress's bed-room at night. A hairy species of cater- 

 pillar found upon the oak was its favourite food, being better liked 

 than the hispid one of the nettle butterfly ; but of either of these it 

 would eat voraciously, and fully three times as many as of the smooth 

 caterpillar of the cabbage : — the last it would not consume at all if 

 the others were to be had. Every caterpillar was viscerated by the 

 bird previous to being swallowed, as likewise were the mice when 

 young enough for this process : these were always swallowed head 

 foremost, and for a considerable time afterwards their tails appeared 

 dangling from the cuckoo's bill. When the season was too far ad- 

 vanced for caterpillars to be procured, this bird was fed on raw flesh- 

 meat, and seemed to gain much strength in consequence : with this 

 and hard-boiled eggs it was supplied throughout the winter. It never 

 consumed less in a day than a couple of eggs, in addition to a little 

 of some other food. It is described as appearing to be deficient in 

 the power of picking up little fragments of anything, such as bits of 

 egg, &c, and to the last gaped to be fed with all but caterpillars, 

 or in other words, its natural food. It was remarkably sharp-sighted, 

 and if a caterpillar had escaped would perceive it from the opposite 

 side of the room, and with the utmost rapidity dart at and seize it. 



