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hence has been confidered by many as the provider 
and attendant of the Cuckow. Yet it is well 
known that this bird follows it with no amicable 
intention ; biit either to infult it, or as a fpy who 
warns the little warblers of the impending danger. 
Such are the habits of this bird while it conti- 
nues in this country; but, on the approach of win- 
ter, it. totally difappears, nor can it's paflage be 
traced to any other * Some imagine that the 
Cuckov/ conceals itfelf in hollow trees ; and others, 
that it paffes into warmer climates: but which of 
thefe fuppofitions is the true one, cannot be de- 
cided on, as nothing has hitherto been related on 
either fide that amounts to a certainty; However, 
the moft probable conje£ture is, that as quails and 
woodcocks fliift their habitations in winter, lb alfo 
does the Cuckow ; but whether it retires to reft, or 
■ whether any perfon has ever obferved the coitrfe 
which it fteers, we are totally at a lofs to determine. 
Some authors have queftioned whether CuCkows 
are carnivorous birds ; but Reaumur, who bred up 
feveral of them, informs ils, that they would not 
feed either on bread or corn, but that flefli arid in- 
fects were their favourite alimentj though the lat- 
ter feemed to be moft congenial to their appetites. 
Their voracity, indeed, is not to be wondered at ; 
for their ftomachs are fo very capacious, as to reach 
from their back-bones to their ventSi Neverthe- 
lefs, they are not to be confidered as birds of prey* 
being deftitute of the effentials for that purpofe, 
namely, ftrength and courage: but that they are 
naturally weak and timid, appears by their flying 
from thofe fmaller birds by which they are always 
purfued. 
The Cuckow meafures fourteen inches in lengthy 
and tv/enty-five in breadth, and weighs about five 
ounces. The young are of a brown colour mixed 
with blacks though in that ftate fome authors have 
defcribed them as old ones. 
The Cuckow was anciently confecrated to Ju- 
piter. That god, according to fidion, having 
rendered the air extremely cold, transformed him- 
felf into a Cuckow, and repofed on the bofom of 
Juno, who received him willingly, (a poetic figure, 
intimating thefuccefsof an intrigue;) and Mount 
ThornaXj in Peloponnefus, where this adventure 
happened, was from that time called the Mountain 
of the Cuckow. 
CucKoWj Great Spotted. This bird, which 
is fuppofed to be an alternate inhabitant of the 
fouthern parts of Europe and the northern parts of 
Africa, has a pretty ftrong black bill, fomewhat 
long in proportion to it's thicknefs, and a little ifi- 
curvated downwards; the lower mandible beine;, 
flightly angulated underneath. A black lv*xie is 
extended backwards from the angles of. the mouth 
-to the hinder part of the head, n^arroweft at the ex- 
tremes, and broadeft in the- middle, in waich the 
eyes are placed ; the cro-- A^n of the head is covered 
with foft feathers of a blueifh alh-colour^ which, 
from their length • and loofenefs, exhibit the ap- 
pearance of a r.reft; the whole upper fide of the 
neck, the bac'-K, wings, and tail, are covered with 
dark brown feathers, the greateft quills and tails 
being the darkeft, and approaching to bkck. All 
the winrg-feathers, except the greater quills, are 
tipped ' with white and very light afh-coloir, as well 
as the - upper covert-feathers of the tail. The two 
mid die feathers of the tail are wholly dirk; and 
all the fide -feathers, as they gradually ft.orten in 
le >igth, increafe in the depth of their white tips. 
The under-fide, from the fides of the head and 
throat to the breaft, is of a pretty bright brown, 
incliningtoorange ; which colour gradually changes 
on the belly and thighs to a dirty yellowifh brown, 
and ends in the coverts beneath the tail. The in- 
fides of the wings and under-fide of the tail are of 
an afh-colour; the legs are fliort in proportion; 
two of the toes ftand forward, and two backward ; 
the claws are pretty ftrong, and black ; and both 
legs and feet are covered with black fcales. 
Cuckow, Indian Black. This bird is about 
the fize of the Englifh blackbird; the bill is thicker 
and ftronger than in fome of the kind, and of a 
bright orange colour ; the fides of the upper man- 
dible, when they fall over the nether, do not nm 
in a ftraight line, but in a wave; the head, body; 
wings, and tail, are wholly covered with deep black 
feathers j without one mark or fpot of other colours ; 
notwithftahding which, they poffefs fuch a fliining 
luftre, that, oil being expofed to different lights, 
they refledl by turns all the various colours of the 
rainbow. The middle feathers of the tail are 
pretty longj but the fide ones become gradually 
fhorter; both the tail and the wings are pretty 
long ; and the legs, feetj and claws, are ftiort, thick, 
and ftrong. 
Edwards remarks, that as it is not eafy to define 
how a bird which fometimes appears entirely black, 
Ihould on a little turn aflTume fhining colours^ 
though no fuch are placed near it to be reflefted 
back, he imagines that thefe feathers muft have in 
their compofition fome tranfparent, triangular fi- 
bres, which operate on the eye in the manner of a 
prifm. 
CucKOWj Indian BkowN Atiu Spotted. This; 
fpecies is about the fize of the thrufh, but the body 
is longer in proportion to it's magnitude; the head 
is large, and the tail very long; the bill is pretty 
ftrong and thick for this tribe of birds, and of a 
dirty yellow inclining to green ; the head, the neck, 
the whole body, the wings, and the tail, are of a 
brown colour, fpotted and barred throughout with 
a lighter brown or white ; the head, wings, and 
back, are darker than the under fide, (-qofr^ and 
intermixed with a li^hr^rti known ; though, on the 
lefTer covert^i, \fi the wings, there are fome white 
fpots. T:'he breaft, belly, thighs, and covert-fea-, 
thers. under the tail, have a great proportion of 
white a little mixed with orange colour; and all 
thie under-fide is confufedly covered with femi- 
lunar black fpots. The legs are ftiortj and yellow- 
ifli ; the feet are of the fame colour ; two of the toes 
ftartd backwards, and two for^vards ; and the elaws 
are dufky* 
As this bird ftrongly refembles the comrhon 
Cuckow, it may be inferred by fuperficial obferver* 
of nature, that they are in fadt the fame; but it will 
be proper to remark that they difagree in feveral 
efl^entials : it is lefs by one-third ; the colours on the 
belly and under-fide ate very diff'erent; and the 
legs correfpond only in their proportionable ftiort- 
nefs. This fpecies is a native of Bengal; and, in 
the language of that country, is called bought- 
fallic. 
Cuckow, Green. The bill of this fpecies is 
thick and fhort ; the edges of the upper mandible 
ate a little waved; the colour is yellow; and, from 
the bafe both of the upper and lower mandible, 
proceed fome ftifi^ black hairs, projedling forwards, 
fo as to cover the noftrils. The fpace round the 
eyes, and about an inch down the throat, is co- 
vered with black feathers; the top of the head, the 
neck, back, rump, and leffer covert-feathers of the 
3 G wing5} 
