LIFE AND BEHAVIOR OF THE CUCKOO 
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mostly brown, green or gray, and from one to one and one-half 
inches long representing small lepidoptera, and possibly crane 
flies, while the larger, from two to three inches in length, were with- 
out doubt larvae of some of the s])hinges, and larger moths. The 
hairy caterpillars were apparently those of common butterflies, 
such as Vanessa antiopa, and of various small moths. The adult 
lepidoptera were white and gray moths, some having the size and 
appearance of the brown-tail. I have never seen a single adult 
butterfly served at the nests of this cuckoo. 
TABLE 3 
Food oj nestling cuckoos, nests nos. 1-3. 
NO. OF DAY 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
TOTALS 
PER CENT 
Smooth larvae 
4 
14 
1 
5 
44 
Grasshoppers 
0 
1 
I 
12 
5 
33 
27 
Caterpillars 
1 
5 
; 
0 
7 
5.6 
Moths 
2 
0 
1 
2 
1 
7 
5.() 
Other insects 
1 
5 
5 
6 
1 
22 
18 
No, of nestlings: 6. 
Total no. of visits with food: 123. Total time: 53 hrs. 4 min. 
Highest average daily rate of feedings, once every 8.6 min. Total average rate, 
once every 26.3 min. 
C. Method of feeding young 
The young cuckoos are fed by both parents whether in the nest 
or out of it, but the instincts of the male in this direction are much 
the weaker, and are liable to be checked by fear. At nest no. 3 
(table no. 5) I have recorded 13 visits by the male, but as the sexes 
were indistinguishable in size or color, and could be judged only 
by their general behavior, these records are not very trustworthy. 
After the first young have climbed out, the male seldom, if ever, 
visited the nest, but gave his attention to the bird in the bush. 
Cuckoos often seek their food a long way from the nest-site, 
and while both parents are occasionally absent at the same time, 
I did not often find this to be the case in the early days of nest- 
life. While engaged in the search the responsive kow-kow is 
frequently indulged in, and this often proved the signal for 
