170 BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 
Qalhway Natural History and Antiquarian Society, but one 
always ejected the other. 
The popular saying, "In June he changes his time is 
locally rendered, "When the barley shoots, the Cuckoo 
gets a barley-awn* in his throat and can ca 1 no more^ 
The Cuckoo calls on the wing, as well ^ ^^^^"l^^^'f''^' 
and is frequently heard at night. On May 13th, 1908, 
I distinctly heard one using his triple call cuck-cuck-oo, 
the earliest date for this change in his tune that I have heard 
of It may perhaps here be worthy of note that the 
bird's name is locally pronounced with the accent on the 
last syllable. , . , 
Many superstitions have been woven round this bird. 
James Shaw gives this verse as being used in his time : 
" Gang and see the swallow flee, 
Sit and hear the gowk, ^ 
The foal before its minnie's o e,t 
And all that year ye've luck." J 
Mr. R. Service teUs me, " AU over this district, when the 
Cuckoo is first heard, maidens examine the soles of their 
boots, or failing them the ground near, and if a hair is found 
its colour will show them the colour of their future husband s 
hair The custom is not nearly so general as formerly, or 
perhaps I am much less in contact with the performers, 
but I saw and heard it gone through as recently as 1908. 
In some summers, as in 1885 and 1903, this species is 
exceptionaUy abundant. In the latter year the oak trees 
at Capenoch (Keir) were infested with caterpillars 
imiumerable, and never in my hfe have I seen so many 
Cuckoos gathered together. 
They destroy the larvae of the antler-moth (CMr<^as 
graminis) or " hill-grub " which is ^o injurious to upland 
hUl-pasture, and Mr. Fred. V. Theobald writes: The 
Cuckoo is a decidedly useful bird, and does no harm. It 
is the only powerful natural check we have on such insect 
* The bristle-like beard of the barley, 
t Mother's eye. 
X A Country Schoolmaster, 1899, p. 31. 
