CUCKOO 
181 
times before them. Before the young Cuckoo is 
two days old, and before its eyes are yet open, it 
empties the other young birds, or the remaining 
eggs, out of the nest, by getting them on to 
its back and heaving them over the edge. There 
is neither bed nor board to spare, indeed, for any 
other nurslings if the tiny new-born Cuckoo is to 
reach full-grown size in a month's time or so. 
When nearly fledged, it is a fierce little creature, 
and will lay hold of an intruded finger with great 
promptitude and vehemence. The parasitic habits 
of our common Cuckoo are all the more remark- 
able, as certain American species of Cuckoo build 
their own nests (though extremely bad ones) like 
honest and law-abiding birds. On the other hand, 
the same parasitic habits occur in a quite different 
family of birds in the case of the South American 
Cowbird, which is a kind of Starling, and places its 
eggs in the nests of the Tyrant birds. In appear- 
ance the Cuckoo much resembles a Hawk, being 
bluish-grey above, barred grey and white on the 
breast, and with a long tail and wings ; it is a 
common country belief that it turns into a Hawk 
in the winter, and even the small birds will mob it 
as they will a Kestrel, though this may possibly be 
due to its own troublesome habits, and not owing 
to any confusion of identity. The eggs vary 3 
good deal in appearance, but they are usually of 
