92 



THE YOUNG NATUEALIST. 



marvellous, and we cannot but admire the instinct by which the work is 

 accomplished. Some naturalists say the hen bird turns round and round in 

 the nest when it is fresh plastered, and smooths the inside with her breast. 

 This seems more credible than that the work should be accomplished by, 

 apparently, so inefficient an implement as the birds beak. 



The varieties I know of the eggs are (1) cserulean blue, with purplish 

 black spots ; (2) light blue, unspotted, or with very few spots ; (3) bluish 

 green, unspotted j (4) with a pinkish shade and black spots ; (5) very rarely 

 entirely white. 



The thrush is a very restless and active bird, and is about from early morn 

 to dewy eve. He is a very early riser ; he is up and after the worms as soon 

 as dawn begins, so Browne rightly surmises it must have been exceedingly early 

 in the morning, if 



" The Throstle had not been 

 Gathering worms upon the green," 



and yet he retires late to roost, for Burn's sings — 



" The Mavis wild wi' many a note 

 Sings drowsy day to rest." 



But we have not time to linger any longer, but must walk on. 



"Cuckoo ! " " Cuckoo ! " we hear repeated at intervals from somewhere 

 among the trees, and, although we cannot see him, yet the familiar sound of 

 his voice informs us our old friend is back again from the warm southern 

 region where he has spent the winter. Mrs. Cuculus canoris as you know, 

 neither constructs a nest nor brings up her own progeny herself, but, having 

 laid her egg, takes it in her beak and flies to the nearest hedge-sparrow's nest 

 and deposits it, while the rightful owner of the nest is temporarily away. 

 If no hedge-sparrow's nest happens just then to be available, she will not 

 hesitate to place her egg in one belonging to a tit-lark or some other insecti- 

 vorous bird. It seems curious that the bird thus imposed upon, should never 

 throw the egg out again, but suffers it to remain and be hatched with her own, 

 yet such is the case. The young cuckoo, however, soon after it is hatched, 

 as if fearing lest the care of itself and her own progeny in addition, may prove 

 too heavy a burden for. its foster parent, considerately ejects the rightful 

 occupants, every one, from the nest. 



We like to hear the cuckoo, as it tells us summer is nigh at hand, neverthe- 

 less, we are bound to admit, it has its bad qualities. It is very fond of other 

 bird's eggs, and I fear destroys no small numbers. Allusion to this is made 

 in the well known rhyme — 



" The cuckoo's a fine bird. 

 She sings as she flies ; 



