66 



CUCULUS. CUCKOW. 



Generic Character. 



Rostrum teretiusculum, gra- 

 cile, subincurvatum. 



Nares proniinulae. 



Pedes simplices*, digitis du- 

 obus anticis, duobus pos- 

 ticis, externo longiore ; un- 

 gues aequales. 



Beak straight, slender, slightly 



incurved. 

 Nostrils prominent, margined. 

 Feet simple, with two toes 



before and two behind, the 



external toes longest: nails 



equal. 



CuCKOWS, or Cuckoos, feed on larvae or ca- 

 terpillars as well as perfect insects. They are re- 

 markable for neglecting their young, the female 

 always depositing her eggs singly in the nests of 

 smaller birds. As soon as the Cuckow is hatched, 

 it begins to throw the other young birds from the 

 nest, which it accomplishes by gently elevating 

 them one by one to the brink of the nest, and 

 jerking them over. The foster parents continue 

 to feed the young Cuckow for some time after it 

 leaves the nest, notwithstanding which it never 



* The feet have generally been considered as scansorious, or 

 formed for climbing ; but, as Dr. Leach observes, the term has 

 been misapplied to this hind of feet, which can be considered merely 

 as simple feet, having two toes before and two behind. The Par- 

 rot genus ( Psittacus ) affords a good example of true scansorious 

 feet, (pedes scansorii). 



