26 
Wild Birds, Useful and Injurious. 
about thirteen inches in length ; the back is grey, the under- 
parts white barred with black, and the tail nearly black 
with white spots. In general appearance it bears some resem- 
blance to the sparrow-hawk, and this fact, together with 
the departure of cuckoos at the end of summer, and the 
subsequent arrival of migrating hawks, has given rise to 
the saying, “ Cuckoos turn to hawks in winter.” This absurd 
idea is exactly comparable with the opinion, still prevalent, 
that rye-grass turns into couch or “ wicks.” 
Flo. 5.— Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus). 
The cuckoo, of course, makes no nest, but deposits its 
egg in that of some other bird. The variation in the colour 
of the eggs is remarkable, but they all resemble those of 
some small bird, for instance the various wagtails, pipits 
and some warblers ; whilst there is even a blue variety similar 
to the eggs of the hedge-sparrow and redstart. The egg is 
