Peacock : The Cuckoo — A Study. 



107 



most wonderful fact in the life history of this strangest of birds. 

 I mean the murderous eviction of the rightful owners of the 

 nest by the intruder. For beginning about the fourth day, it 

 hoists them one after another in succession on its broad back, 

 where for some days at least there is a depression between the 

 shoulders for the purpose, and keeping them balanced with its 

 upraised wings, it heaves them over the side of the nest to die 

 neglected by their own parents, of whose solicitous care he 

 becomes the only object. Unhatched eggs are often treated in 

 the same way, we are told ; and when two Cuckoos are found 

 in one nest a prolonged battle goes on for clays as to which 

 shall evict the other. The famous Jenner, the discoverer of 

 vaccination, which is in such bad repute now with the ignorant, 

 was the first person to observe and give a full account of the 

 young Cuckoo's proceedings. For years he was not credited, 

 but in later times observers all over Europe have proved that he 

 was perfectly accurate in all his statements, as I can personally 

 avow. After I had given this lecture at Lincoln, Mr. Arthur 

 Garfit told me that he himself had watched every detail of the 

 life history of the Cuckoo while in the nest, and was prepared 

 to substantiate my facts. 



From the moment of its appearance from the shell, the 

 young Cuckoo is insatiable in its cravings for food, and keeps 

 its foster-parents continually busy. When it gets a fairly large 

 bird, they may be seen at times standing between its shoulders 

 in order to reach and stuff its open mouth. It has such a 

 marvellous attractive power over its feathered companions, that 

 not only do the foster-birds feed it, but also many other old 

 birds, and at times even young ones only just able to feed them- 

 selves. They will even visit cages where the birds are confined, 

 as I know as a fact personally. Even a bird as tiny as the Wren 

 ( Troglodytes parvulus K. L. Koch) has been known to adopt the 

 eaged young Cuckoo, and a more comical sight would be hard 

 to imagine than the large bird flapping its wings with joy and 

 opening its huge beak to receive the food its 'little mother' 

 drops into it. 



It leaves the nest in three weeks, and in another fortnight 

 can fly well, and by the middle of September it has departed, 

 having followed its parents to Africa. Both Buffon and Bechstein 

 agree that the Cuckoo can be kept in captivity, but my own 

 attempts have always failed through want of time, the proper 

 food, and heat. Great care must be taken to keep them from 

 cold from autumn to spring, for this is the critical time w lion 



iqoo April 3. 



